John Hindle

A pot-pourri of topics

Being outside in reasonable winter weather is good for you and there is a lot to do in Manitoba. But not everyone relishes the idea of playing outside in the winter. There are options, though:

Bob Holliday — a St. Vital icon

I met Bob Holliday when I was 13 years old. I was playing baseball at Norberry Community Club and he was an umpire. Decades later I met him again at the St. Vital Museum. I had stopped in to finally see the museum in the old fire station at the junction of St. Mary’s and St. Anne’s Roads. There he was, right inside the front door.

So long to 2022

This is my last article of the year and I will welcome 2022 out the door. The good news is I am still here, even though COVID tried to change that in the summer when I was very sick for a month. Thankfully, I am now back to full strength.

Have you been to a barn dance lately?

I was recently asked by a friend to attend a barn dance to support a good cause…Urban Stable. I was not even sure what a barn dance was, but it sounded like fun, so I said “Sure!” And I’m glad I did.

Overcoming challenges and fears

I have written about my old friends from St. Vital a few times over the years but today I have a story to share about a new friend, Ryan Anderson.

A beach party for old St. Vitalers

A lot of people who grew up in St. Vital still live in the area, and many others maintain a strong connection. That was very evident at a reunion, of sorts, for those who grew up in St. Vital on the beach at Gimli on July 13.

Winnipeg through the eyes of a tourist

I recently had the opportunity to remember why I love living in St. Vital. An old high school buddy, Bill Nash and his wife, Karen, came into town for a celebration of life and stayed with us. I acted as chauffeur and tour guide and listened to Bill’s memories of the St. Vital of our youth. I can’t print some of those memories but he had such fun recalling them. The stories were so vivid and no doubt get better with age.

Bill was really impressed by the state of St. Vital Park. He thought it was being well maintained and, having not seen it for many years, he noted the improvements. The “new” pavilion next to the duck pond… the updated toboggan slide… the entrance to the park, etc. He even told a story about camping at the Scout park which was amalgamated into St. Vital Park decades ago. It was fun to reminisce through fresh eyes.

We walked through the new gardens and paths west of the duck pond where my family bought a bench in memory of our mom and dad, who loved the park. I appreciate this new area and the connection to my family and so did my buddy. St. Vital Park holds a lot of memories for both of us. Family picnics were always fun. Just like yesteryear, the park is still filled with families enjoying the beauty and nature.

Winnipeg is blessed to have such amazing parks throughout the city. I will always treasure them.

High school buddies win national bridge title

I learned how to play bridge when I was attending Dakota Collegiate. On weekends, we watched our school teams play on Friday nights and hung out with friends on Saturdays. One of our favourite activities was playing cards… namely, bridge. There is something about the game that is so appealing – the challenge, the probabilities, the social aspect.

Over the years, three of my high school friends and I have continued to play bridge together, usually on our annual “fishing” trips. Over the past two years, however, our bridge-playing really flourished online. A year ago, we decided to compete in this year’s Canadian Bridge Championships, which were to be held in Saskatoon but eventually became a virtual tournament, so for an entire year we played together online, practising and discussing our strategies. It was still fun and we were also improving.

Flight C of the Canadian National Team Championship was held over two long days. from morning into the evenings. We lost our first two games but kept playing better and better, edging ourselves into the playoff rounds in our last round-robin game. It was draining and challenging.

When all was said and done, after over a hundred hands and a lot of ups and downs, the computer announced our team – Dave West, Brian Macri, Jeff Gosman and myself — had won by one point! (One international match point, or IMP, in the scoring system we were using.)

Reflecting on simpler times

A Simpler Time

So how are you doing? Are times tough? You bet they are. One of the toughest years for weather in Winnipeg… this winter…two years of dealing with a pandemic…and now a war in Ukraine that threatens peace everywhere.

As I write this, I am looking out the window at huge snow banks. It reminds me of my childhood in St. Vital. Anyone remember the amount of snow in 1966 after the big storm in March? When I was a youngster (I mean actually young, not just feeling young-at-heart) many city roads were lined with ditches. As the snow melted, the ditches would fill with water and you could put a small twig or a match in the water and watch it float away. I recall placing two matches in the water and betting on which one would win a race. I would follow my match sticks for quite a distance, sometimes getting wet in the process. More than once I found my rubber boots filled with water. Mom was not too impressed but even that feels like a peaceful memory now.

We didn’t have to deal with a pandemic back then but my bout with mononucleosis was no fun. As pandemic restrictions loosen, here’s hoping the number of cases does not rise significantly. There is no doubt wearing masks helped slow the spread of the virus, as masks would with any respiratory ailment. With nicer weather we are outside more, so that could help.

Ironman curlers hurry hard on the Red River

There is a fair bit of winter to deal with when you live in Winnipeg, and curling is one activity that can help fill those winter days. I don’t play anymore, but know people a lot older than me who still enjoy playing the game and I still enjoy watching curling on TV. I also recently enjoyed watching some outdoor curling at the Ironman outdoor curling event on the Red River here in Winnipeg on Feb. 4 and 5. Forty teams recently participated in the event, which has been held on the first full weekend in February for over 20 years. That is a lot of dedication from some special volunteers. Making curling ice on the river is not an easy feat and requires hours of preparation. If you have never heard of the event, mark down the weekend of Feb. 3 to 5, 2023. It’s worth a visit to see the curling sheets painted on the Red River, the bright lights at the evening draws, and the fun the curlers are having. The event also raises funds for two charities — namely the Heart and Stroke Foundation and Hope worldwide Canada.I may well owe my life to Heart and Stroke because, after my nasty heart attack, the clot-busting drug I was administered in the Kenora Hospital may well have saved my life. So, when Ironman Curling asked if I would help out with media and interviews, it was pretty easy to say “sure!” Funds are raised by the curlers paying an entry fee, garnering pledges, and from the public who support this unique event.  The event was honoured this year when Curling Canada shipped the Tankard trophy, symbol of supremacy in Canadian men’s curling, to Winnipeg to help celebrate Curling Day in Canada on Feb. 5. I had my picture taken alongside the historic trophy, which has several Manitoba names on it, and it brought some extra prestige to this year’s Ironman.Michael Thompson, a main organizer, curled in the first event and has volunteered ever since. When I asked him why, he said “Because we can! When you are involved with a successful event you believe in and are passionate about, you don’t count the number of years. You just keep going.”I salute all of the volunteers who make this event successful. You can still donate at www.ironmancurling.com or plan to enter a team next year. We should all find a way to support this uniquely wonderful Winnipeg event.John Hindle is a community correspondent for St. Vital. Email him at john@johnhindle.com 

There is a fair bit of winter to deal with when you live in Winnipeg, and curling is one activity that can help fill those winter days. I don’t play anymore, but know people a lot older than me who still enjoy playing the game and I still enjoy watching curling on TV. 

I also recently enjoyed watching some outdoor curling at the Ironman outdoor curling event on the Red River here in Winnipeg on Feb. 4 and 5. Forty teams recently participated in the event, which has been held on the first full weekend in February for over 20 years. That is a lot of dedication from some special volunteers. Making curling ice on the river is not an easy feat and requires hours of preparation. 

Looking back before looking ahead

To start off 2022, I decided to update stories I have written recentl.I started by looking through the Facebook pages of Norberry School and Dakota Collegiate. What great memories! If you attended either school, you should take a peek. The Norberry page now has 525 members and Dakota has 420. Those totals have rocketed in the past year.Glenlawn Collegiate has a page as well and GCI will be celebrating 100 years on May 18 to 22, 2023. Surely, this pandemic will be over by then. In 1969-70, Dakota won the varsity girls and boys volleyball and basketball provincial championships. No school has ever done that before or since and I was in the stands cheering for every team. Hey, Bob Holliday, maybe that should be recognized at the St. Vital Museum?☐ ☐ ☐ Speaking of the Museum. I stopped in there the other day, and it’s looking good! A new coat of paint, a “new” 1924 fire truck, and the two-person horse drawn sleigh have all added to the charm. An annual individual membership costs just $20, so how about it?☐ ☐ ☐I wrote numerous articles about the St. Vital of my youth this past year, but the column on Delta Hardware received the most comments. Articles about the Horseshoe Inn, Roco Stations, Norberry Shoe Repair and  Murphy’s Drug Store all elicited responses from people with similar memories to mine. I also received emails from people who grew up in St. Vital closer to Glenlawn or St. Anne’s Road wrote to me about their favourite establishments. I had fun reading all of their stories. ☐ ☐ ☐I recently met with Paul Edmonds, the radio voice of the Winnipeg Jets. He and I worked together with the Winnipeg Goldeyes for years. It is rewarding to watch a good friend live out his dream as a broadcaster.Every time I hear him on the radio, I think...hey, I’ll spend a little time with Paul and listen to the game. He is a great broadcaster and a fun guy to be around. Speaking of broadcasters, I want to send out congratulations to one of the greats, Bob Irving. Many of us have spent pleasant times listening to his Bombers broadcasts over the years. Enjoy your well-deserved retirement, Bob. ☐ ☐ ☐Finally, my friend Jack Countryman is 86 years young and just celebrated his birthday by walking six miles on the streets of Winnipeg. Jack, my recent book about his life is available through me or at McNally Robinson. Jack is still creative and just launched some YouTube videos at Jack Countryman 25th Century. He still amazes me. ☐ ☐ ☐It was another crazy year. Here’s hoping 2022 brings us some peace and normalcy!John Hindle is a community correspondent for St. Vital. Email him at john@johnhindle.com 

To start off 2022, I decided to update stories I have written recently.

I started by looking through the Facebook pages of Norberry School and Dakota Collegiate. 

The magic of Christmas memories

The Christmas season is upon us and I hope you all find some joy and peace to nourish. At this time of year, I sometimes reflect on pleasant memories of years long ago.

Cutting down the tree

When I was young, cutting down the Christmas tree was an all-day event. We packed into the car and drove east of Winnipeg, paid our 25 cents at the designated area in Sandilands Provincial Forest, and traipsed into the bush with dad’s axe to figure out which top of one of the tall trees would look best in our living room.

Some years the tree was not perfect. OK, some years it was downright comical. But it smelled fabulous and always looked beautiful once the lights and decorations were adorning it. On occasion, I know Dad drilled holes in the tree trunk where he placed branches to make the tree look fuller.

November is a time to remember

We are living through a pandemicm which has not been fun for anyone. But does that compare to living through a world war and having food rationed, as happened in the 1940s?

In both situations, a lot of people have lost their lives, been ill, injured and inconvenienced. I respect all of our health-care workers fighting on the front lines against COVID-19. In November, we honour all those who served in the Canadian armed forces to protect our way of life.

Remembrance Day is personal to me. Let me tell you why.

The turning point of the Second World War was D-Day — June 6, 1944. Two million men were stationed in England, waiting for that day and over 130,000 of them boarded 5,000 ships to depart for France. My dad, Gar Hindle, a longtime St. Vital resident, was on one of those ships.

Early childhood educators so very important

Prior to 1990, Loraine Purdy operated a small nursery school program out of her home. Then her children headed off to school and a neighbour asked if she wanted to work at a new nursery school opening at Dakota Community Centre.

Lorraine said “sure.” That was 31 years ago and she just retired this September.

For the first eight years, the nursery school at Dakota operated as a private entity but since 1998 it has been operated by the community centre and Lorraine was the director until her retirement.

Each year, the program handled approximately 60 children aged three and four. Over 31 years, Loraine connected with a lot of kids, mostly from St. Vital.

Retired biology teacher now a tomato-whisperer

Jerry Ilchyna is well-known in St. Vital, as he was a biology teacher for many years at Dakota Collegiate.

Jerry grew up on a farm near Anola, Man., where he used to work in the fields when he was a young boy, and he still likes working the fields. Every year, Jerry drives multiple times to the family farm and tends to the vegetables he has planted. I have been the fortunate recipient of some of those vegetables.

What struck me this spring when Jerry asked me if I would like any tomato plants was how many different varieties he grew. It turns out he grows 16 varieties of heritage tomatoes and a few hybrids. One of the hybrids is called tigerella, so named because the tomatoes have some stripes in them.

Decades ago, a fellow Dakota teacher, Doug Wright (who taught me mathematics) gave Jerry all of the varieties his mother brought with her from the Ukraine when they immigrated to Canada. Jerry has diligently maintained the different types of tomatoes ever since.

There’s nothing like the local hardware store

I want to thank Jim and Bill Head who recently sent emails. Their parents, George and Isabel, ran Delta Hardware at 980 St. Mary’s Road from 1960 to 1986.  

It was initially called Delta Hardware and Electric but when the Heads began operations it became Delta Hardware & Appliances, as they sold refrigerators, washers, dryers, televisions and more. They also operated a television repair division and bought a 1961 Chevy truck, which George treasured. One of the last pictures ever taken of George was in 2011 beside this refinished truck.

The business evolved through the years, as the neighbourhood and economy changed but, as with any successful small business, the store prided itself in providing personal service that was not available elsewhere.

They built strong relationships with customers from the neighbourhood and were known for their expertise in cutting keys, repairing windows, sharpening saws and skates, and tinting paint just to name a few.  If someone wanted advice, they would often come in to see George.

Help preserve the Belgian Veterans memorial

I wrote last month about my memories of playing baseball at Provencher Park. That article prompted a response from a reader who asked if I would consider an article about The Belgian Veterans Association Historical War Memorial on Provencher Boulevard, which is located on the strip of land between the lanes of traffic.  

If you are anything like me, you have driven past this memorial countless times but don’t know its history.

The memorial was designed and sculpted by a local artist, Hubert A. Garnier, in 1938, who used stone from the quarry in Haddington Island, B.C.

Garnier, a St. Vital resident, became very well-known as a sculptor and his work can be seen across Canada and the U.S.A. at such locations as the former Hudson’s Bay Store on Portage Avenue, Hotel Vancouver, and the Rockefeller Centre in New York City.

Remembering the boys of summer

I drove past Provencher Park the other day and stopped and got out of my car. It is so noticeable to me that teams are not using the baseball diamonds around town. Provencher is still used for baseball in a normal year for bantam players (aged 14 and 15).

The memories were thick as I walked around and reminisced about games I played there. The St. Boniface Legionaires junior team and the St. Boniface Native Sons senior team both called Provencher Park home. I played for both. We won a provincial championship with the junior team in 1973. Whittier Park, where they play now, did not exist back then.

I feel blessed that I am still friends with teammates I played with from that 1973 team and maybe I was a little nostalgic since losing my outfield partner and long-time friend, Barry Wiebe, a few months ago to brain cancer, and even more recently another great teammate, Clarke Single who was a big strong hitter with a wonderful laugh. Clarke succumbed to another nasty form of brain cancer called glioblastoma.

Barry played centre field and I played left. There is a lot of territory to cover at Provencher Park but, as I remember it, we covered it like a blanket. Of course, that was a long time ago so my memory may have some gaps.

A profile of a fascinating man

First, I’d like to say thank you to the readers who pointed out that the picture used in last month’s article (The Lance, May 5) was not described accurately.

The photo of the flood in 1950 actually depicted the corner of St. Vital Road and St. Mary’s Road. I was going to blame the editors until I realized it was me who made the mistake. (Editor’s note: It’s not always us, John!)

Sorry about that, and thanks to Lindsay Nowosad for sending me that picture. It still amazes me to see that amount of water on St. Mary’s Road.

As you know, I enjoy getting emails from readers in response to my articles. I recently, I received one from Sharon Beggs-Lawrence, who also grew up in St. Vital.

No Black Friday, flood of the century this year

May 5, 1950 was so memorable in Winnipeg it was named Black Friday, long before we associated that term with great shopping.

That day, 71 years ago, marked the peak of the 1950 flood, when Red River rose over 30 feet above normal levels, forcing 100,000 people to be evacuated from their homes. A significant part of St. Vital was under water. The St. Vital Museum has a nice display depicting the flood.

Many of us remember 1997, when the Red River also peaked very close to this date in what was later called The Flood of the Century. In terms of the amount of water discharged by the Red River, it was the largest flood since 1826, and flooded river basin south of Winnipeg was renamed the Red Sea. I remember bringing the Winnipeg Goldeyes staff to help sandbag on Kingston Crescent that year. It does not appear like we have to worry about a flood this year!

☐ ☐ ☐

Do you remember Roco gas stations?

Readers continue to email me their memories and many are posting on the Norberry School Facebook page, which now has over 400 members. Lots of fun...  

A few questions and recollections have tested my memory, so I have had to ask for help on occasion from my elders. Yes, my brother, Garry, is older than me, even if he has not admitted it for 30 years.

One reader asked what the name of the grocery store was at the junction of St. Anne’s Road and St. Mary’s Road?

It had underground parking which was so cool back then. The answer is …Safeway. The building later became CKND television studios.

The memories keep flooding back

Last month’s article generated the most responses I have had in my five years writing for The Lance. That small section of St. Mary’s Road south of Norberry School (current school division offices) sure holds a lot of memories for people.

One of the interesting emails I received was from Lindsay Nawosad. Her parents, Joan and Nick, owned Norberry Shoe Repair from 1945 to 1986. The shop is still in business and I have been in it on numerous occasions. In the ’60s, my brother purchased a pair of blue shoes there. Yes…blue. Those were the days.

Lindsay writes: “In the winter, we sold hockey sticks, tape, white leather moccasins, boots and shoe polish, along with the skate sharpening. The skate exchange for new and reconditioned skates was also popular. One of my jobs, which I really liked, was repainting the used skates to get them ready for resale.”

The Nawosads were best friends with Lillian and Trevor John, who operated the Horseshoe Inn. Based on the emails I received, I was not the only person to play pinball at the Horseshoe Inn. Lindsay waitressed there after school and remembered the machines, as they were quite noisy. Trevor was always getting after the boys to stop tilting the machine.

Shared memories of St. Vital childhood

I grew up in St. Vital when Bishop Grandin Boulevard and St. Vital Centre were just visions of the future. The cornerstones of commerce in those days were St. Mary’s and St. Anne’s Roads.

Jim Hamilton wrote me recently. He’s a name from my past whom I remember as a good athlete.

“I just wanted to let you now how much I look forward to your column in The Lance,” he wrote.

“I find myself reflecting often on growing up on Poplarwood — roaming the streets on foot and bike; walking to St. George School and home each day for lunch — lots of steps.

All we need is love… in a jar

Who could have imagined what we have lived through this past year and through the recent holiday season? With so many people feeling isolated and alone, it is more important than ever that we stay connected.

How have you done staying connected with friends and acquaintances?

What I realized this past year, more than ever, is how powerful it can be to reach out to someone. I have always been a big believer in doing that. As a matter of fact, one of the books I have written is titled Making Contact: How to Connect with People.

As I was thinking about the people who have touched my life, I recalled two powerful memories.