Sparkling into spring

Dozens of ladies dressed in red, white, and purple gather around tables on a sunny summer day in Winnipeg. They’ve come from all over the province to be here and it’s the group’s first-time meeting in the city.

This is the Crown Jewels Society of Canada, a national organization made of several chapters across each province. It’s Manitoba’s Spring Fling, a day where all chapters in the province are invited to.

It’s no work, no commitment, and we just have fun, said Cheryl McKitrick, the Manitoba and Northwest Ontario representative and one of the original founders of the Crown Jewels Society.

The best way to describe McKitrick, and the day, is sparkly. Chatter, glamour, and 62 jewels fill the hall at the Parish of Saints-Martyrs-Canadiens in Windsor Park.

As summer rolls in, cars roll up

As the first warm weeks of summer weather begin to settle into the city, car enthusiasts are rolling back into the cruise night routine, but the fun doesn’t stop on the weekend.

Murdoch MacKay Collegiate’s Grade 12 automotive students are hosting their annual car show on Thursday, June 11 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the school (260 Redonda St.).

“I’m excited we get to run it this year. It’s a big accomplishment,” said Noah Koslowsky, a Grade 12 student at Murdoch. Each graduating class gets their turn to run the show where many of the students win awards.

It’s a chance to celebrate their accomplishments before that last Friday of the school year and the feeling of graduating sets in, said Dave Salichuk, automotive instructor at Murdoch for nine years.

Keep calm and ping pong on

Listen up casual ping pong-ers, table tennis athletes to be, and active competitors. The Pong Room, a new Winnipeg business, is now open for your ping pong endeavours.

With nine professional ping pong tables, LED lights, TVs, couches, and music on the speakers, it’s a casual place with a competitive edge.

“We want everyone to feel comfortable,” said Poy Riankasemsaku, manager of the Pong Room and co-founder along with Terry Zhang.

Other table tennis clubs in the city are geared to competitive athletes or professional training, Riankasemsaku said.

Annual walk for colorectal cancer takes place June 7

Maybe not every person is comfortable talking about what goes on in the bathroom, but Deb Tycholiz — a cancer survivor and local advocate — is encouraging people to talk about their poop.

It’s the 30th year for the national annual Push for Your Tush Walk to raise awareness and funds for colorectal cancer research, and the fifth walk in Winnipeg. The walk is scheduled for Sunday, June 7, at Kildonan Park at the north shelter.

There’ll be munchies, a DJ, facepainting, a trainer hyping everyone up before hand, and then participants have the option of walking or running five or 10 kilometres.

“It’s just a lot of fun, I like to make people laugh,” Tycholiz said. “So, when I do my opening spiel, I talk about it. I talk about poop and what we’re here for. For a walk that is so serious, we like to make it fun so people will remember it.”

Straight from the art

A local art-themed event will continue to show the love as it returns to the West End Cultural Centre for a third successive year.

Art from the Heart, a community show and sale presented by Artbeat Studio, will showcase approximately 150 creations by local artists who are on lower incomes, live with a disability, or hail from the inner city. Each participating artist could enter up to two works in the show and, in keeping with Artbeat Studio’s community-first mission, participating artists will keep all the proceeds from sales of their work.

Uyen Pham, executive director of Artbeat Studio, said one of main goals of Art from the Heart is to help level the playing field and provide artists with a broader outlet for showcasing their work, regardless of their circumstances, income or challenges they may be facing.

“It’s about accessibility to art and giving people the ability to sell their art,” Pham said, noting Artbeat Studio took over the stewardship of Art from the Heart in 2024. It began as a volunteer-led initiative at the Magnus Eliason Recreation Centre in 1999. “Sometimes artists don’t have the means or the funds to have a show.”

Grant helps Ukrainian newcomers learn English

The Manitoba government’s recent $500,000 grant to the Ukrainian Canadian Congress – Manitoba Provincial Council (UCC-MPC) will enable the organization to expand English language training and supports to the many Ukrainian newcomers wanting to make Winnipeg home. It’s also a celebration of a program that grew from an idea three years ago into one that’s served 1,000 people today.

“English language training is one of the most important tools helping Ukrainian newcomers build successful lives in Manitoba, opening doors to employment, education and full participation in our communities,” said Joanne Lewandosky, UCC-MPC president. “We are deeply grateful to the Manitoba government for its ongoing support of Ukrainians forced to come to Canada because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and for investing in programs that help newcomers integrate and contribute to our province.”

UCC-MPC ESL for Ukrainian newcomers co-ordinator Susan Zuk said the initiative began in May 2023 with three classes. Church and community members sought to help the many Ukrainian newcomers who spoke limited or no English. Because existing services were overwhelmed by the sudden surge in need, new options were needed.

“We thought maybe we could do something,” Zuk said.

RETSD celebrates student success with annual powwow

River East Transcona School Division hosted its annual powwow on May 20 at Miles Macdonell Collegiate (757 Roch St.).

The event included a pipe ceremony, dancers and drum groups, along with a grand entry, vendors, stew and bannock.

UJPO/JFSJ to hold landmark celebration event on June 25

All are welcome to attend an upcoming event, titled Joy and Struggle, that marks a milestone for an organization with origins that can be traced back to the arrival of Jewish immigrants to Canada.

The Winnipeg Chapter of the United Jewish People’s Order, which is subtitled Jews for Social Justice, will mark the 100th anniversary of the organization’s Winnipeg connections with an event that will be held on Thursday, June 25 from 7 to 9 p.m.

According to the organization’s website, UJPO was created in 1945 when the Labour League in Toronto, formed in 1927, and the Canadian Workmen’s Circle in Montreal and Winnipeg, formed in 1926, merged. The website states the organization “proudly maintains its socialist and secular orientation, which is reflected in the many cultural and educational programs that take place in Toronto, Winnipeg and Vancouver.”

“It morphed out of mutual benefit societies and new immigrants to Canada who struggled with discrimination and exploitation,” said board member Ellen Karlinsky, noting how UJPO champions secular Jewish culture and education with a commitment to social justice. “There was no safety for them, and people helped each other.”

J.H. Bruns student stays focused on the pitch

Alessa Guzzi is a 15-year-old Grade 9 student at J.H. Bruns Collegiate.

“School is good,” Guzzi said. “I have great grades and great friends. My favourite class is science. I am very interested in biology.”

Alessa has always been very active and locked on to her favourite sport since a very young age.

“I have been fully focused on soccer since I started playing when I was three,” she said. “I started playing club soccer at U9 at Bonivital Soccer Club.”

Getting into gardening

Five years ago, when my wife asked for a garden, I had no idea what I was getting into.

Like any hobby, it can be as mellow or as serious as you want to make it. Gardening is no big deal, all you need is a little bit of dirt and a few seeds to water and you’re good to go. Right? On the more serious side, it becomes a science, and I have been blessed with the knowledge that my late Uncle Norm, a master gardener, has passed down to me. I hope that some of this will be helpful for your own gardening hobby.

Seeds: Some last longer than others, between two-to-five years. Storing them in a cool, dark place will maximize their lifespan. Seeds such as onions have a short shelf life of one-to-two years, whereas cucumber and squash seeds have the longest and can be good for up to five years. Others such as beans, peas, spinach and peppers can still germinate well after two or three years. Carrots, tomatoes, beets, cabbage and radishes can last up to three-to-four years. Speaking of germination, a waterproof heating pad set for approximately 18 to 20 Celsius will help with the process until the plants begin to sprout. As they grow to be an inch or so you want to shut that heating pad off.

Soil: “Just a little dirt” can vary significantly. In a garden it is suggested that you use something like a four-way or five-way compost mix from your local garden center. When planting early in a grow box you can use up to a 50/50 mix of good potting soil and compost. Watering can be done as soon as the plant is dry, best if you have a potting container that has holes in the bottom to soak up water but also to allow the roots to breathe and not to drown. Have your water room temperature, as you do not want to shock your plants with cold or hot water.

Making the most of a couple layovers

It’s travel season, and anyone who has flown in this country knows that delays and cancellations can be a part of the experience. Recently, I attended a 90th birthday party in Vancouver, B.C., for a prominent geneticist. My direct flight in the afternoon was cancelled, and I was moved to the 6 a.m. flight.

So, I found myself in Richmond, B.C., at 7 a.m. with hours to kill. My daughter has been going to school at the University of British Columbia for years now, so I’ve done the Vancouver tourist thing more than a few times already. The weather on this day was sunny and 22 degrees Celcius. What could I do outside that takes hours? Maybe a game of golf, or two!

Because of the chilly start to Manitoba’s golf season, and work responsibilities, I admit to not having swung a club yet in 2026. I thought I should warm up a bit, and not 10 minutes away from Vancouver International Airport lies the West Richmond Pitch and Putt. It is a nine hole course, and you can rent individual clubs. No drivers needed, but I did rent a nine iron and a putter. The shortest hole was 50 metres, and I think the longest was just under the length of the Blue Bombers field. All tee offs were from mats, but hitting from the fairways was more fun. In the soft, well groomed fairways, taking a divot was easy. It must be that west coast rain and Fraser delta sand.

After killing a whopping hour and a bit, and that was on a course busy with folks enjoying a rain-less day, I felt I was properly limbered up and ready for more challenge (and kill more time). Research showed a number of wonderful courses nearby, but I thought I still had a cob web or two in my game to sweep away. I selected a small, executive style course in Richmond with only three par 4s. Another 10 minute Lyft ride, and I was at the Country Meadows Golf Course.

Leia, the flower dog

For those that read my columns regularly, Leia (Star Wars General), our Frenchie is a familiar topic. From her adoption in 2020, and through many medical difficulties, I have shared the highs and lows, and am pleased to report that she continues to thrive with limited medical interventions, largely due to our protocols of raw foods, supplements and probiotics.

In April 2020, Leia entered our family. Jenn from Jenn’s Furry Friends knew that we had just lost our first Frenchie, Stitch. Stitch was a wonderful dog, but had a compromised spine, and at the tender age of four had catastrophic neck disk failure that would have left her in permanent pain even with surgeries.

Knowing that we had experience with the complex partnership that a French bulldog presents, and knowing that Leia could be a difficult path forward, Jenn thought we would be able to handle the challenge.

Leia is a wonderful soul trapped in a body that can’t always keep up. French bulldogs have so many issues and limitations, but make up for that in their dedication and comical nature.

Stronger schools, stronger futures

Growing up, I saw firsthand how much a strong school community shapes a young person’s future. These spaces, where young Manitobans learn, build friendships, and discover who they are, matter. For families today, access to quality schools and affordable child-care can make all the difference in whether they feel supported and are able to thrive.

That’s why I’m so proud our government is building a new 800 student capacity kindergarten to Grade 8 school in Devonshire Park, complete with 74 infant and preschool child-care spaces. As northeast Winnipeg continues to grow, the need for strong educational spaces becomes more urgent each year.

I often hear from parents who are doing everything they can to balance work, caregiving, and the rising pressures families are facing right now. Many have shared how difficult it can be navigating childcare waitlists or worrying about overcrowded schools as neighbourhoods continue expanding. Families deserve to know their concerns are being heard and acted on.

What excites me most about this announcement is the opportunity it creates for young Manitobans to learn and grow close to home. The River East Transcona School Division has experienced significant enrolment growth over the past several years, reflecting how many young families are choosing to build their lives in our communities. This new school will help respond to that growth while creating a space where students can feel supported, connected, and inspired as they learn.

Celebrating students, graduates across Tuxedo

As another school year draws to a close, I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to all the students, families, teachers, and school staff across Tuxedo who are celebrating graduation season and the beginning of summer break.

This time of year, is always filled with excitement, reflection, and anticipation for what comes next. Whether students are moving on to a new grade, graduating from high school, or preparing for post-secondary studies, these milestones deserve to be celebrated

Congratulations to the graduating class at Gray Academy. Our office was proud to provide a $500 scholarship to support one of the graduates as they begin the next chapter of their education and future careers. We will also be recognizing additional students with scholarships throughout June. Supporting students and celebrating their achievements is incredibly important, and I am always grateful for opportunities to recognize the dedication and perseverance that graduation represents.

One memorable moment this spring came from the Grade 2 class at St. John Brebeuf School. As part of a classroom project about Canada and Manitoba, students designed and created their own postage stamps featuring Canadian and Manitoba symbols that represent our beautiful province. The creativity, pride, and thoughtfulness they showed in their work was truly inspiring. They were asked to imagine what future Canadian stamps could look like through the eyes of the next generation, and the results were remarkable. I enjoyed visiting the class and presenting a letter recognizing their efforts and celebrating their engagement as young Manitobans.