John Kendle

Free Press Community Review weekly video update for July 20, 2022

Katlyn Streilein, community journalist for the Free Press Community Review’s West edition, tells editor John Kendle about a new location in Fort Rouge for the African Communities of Manitoba (Acomi), and she also tells the story of Sydney Nachtigall, a West St. Paul soccer player who will be on Team Manitoba at the upcoming Canada Summer Games in August in Ontario’s Niagara Region. |

Free Press Community Review weekly video update for July 13, 2022

Cody Sellar, reporter with the West edition of the Free Press Community Review, tells editor John Kendle all about the pastry education of Cake-ology co-owner Austin Granados and about the achievements of William Eskin, a food scientist who was part of the University of Manitoba team that developed canola. |

Free Press Community Review weekly video update for July 6, 2022

Simon Fuller of the Free Press Community Review's east edition drops in to chat with editor John Kendle about a new board game business on Hespeler Avenue and to discuss the ins and outs of a proposed school swap in St. Boniface. |

Free Press Community Review weekly video update for June 29, 2022

Sheldon Birnie, reporter/photographer for the East edition of the Free Press Community Review talks about a cool 'green' initiative at Miles Macdonell Collegiate as well as about what various area Legions will be doing to celebrate Canada Day. |

Free Press Community Review weekly video update for June 15, 2022

Kelsey James, reporter for the West edition of the Free Press Community Review, chats with editor John Kendle about the St. Norbert Arts Centre's upcoming 30th anniversary celebration as well as the success of this spring’s ReLeaf tree program. (With special guest appearances by Finnegan the dog and a singing bird.) |

Free Press Community Review Weekly Video Update for June 8, 2022

Free Press Community Review West edition reporter Katlyn Streilein tells editor John Kendle about two young members of the Lord Selkirk Robert Fraser Memorial Pipe band, who did very well in competition at a recent highland gathering in Regina, and she also has news of Garbriella Torres a young female wrestler involved in national and international competitions. |

Free Press Community Review Weekly Video Update for June 1, 2022

Cody Sellar, reporter for the West edition of the Free Press Community Review tells editor John Kendle all about the achievements of two impressive young men about to graduate from high school — one an international fencer, the other a budding engineer who has already impressed former U.S. president Barack Obama. |

Free Press Community Review Weekly Video Update for May 25, 2022

Simon Fuller, reporter for the East edition of the Free Press Community Review, tells editor John Kendle about the backyard revitalization project that students are involved with at Nelson McIntyre Collegiate, and also about a woman named Denise Normandeau, who has been knitting blankets for the Ukrainian refugees now arriving in Winnipeg. |

Everybody likes something made just for them

Last month’s Random Acts of Kindness column related the tale of Kyla Simms, a Royal Canadian Air Force veteran who has been knitting hats and toques for the Main Street Project and pet blankets for D.A.R.C.Y.’s Arc and the Winnipeg Humane Society.

Reading that story prompted Westwood resident Linda Archer to pick up the phone to tell me about her friend, Diane Geith, who has been sewing face masks and crocheting hats and toques for children at Rossbrook House, a drop-in centre for youth and children at 658 Ross Ave., which aims to a safe space in which kids and young people can have fun, feel safe and are treated with dignity.

“She makes all kinds of different designs, (cartoon) characters and everything,” Archer said. “The kids love them. She started making them for her grandchildren and their friends and now she’s doing them for Rossbrook.”

Archer explained that she and Geith have known each for over 50 years. They met after Geith, who is originally from Sudbury, Ont., met and married Art Geith, who attended school in Russell, Man., with Bill and Linda Archer.

Free Press Community Review Weekly Video Update for May 18, 2022

Sheldon Birnie, reporter for the East edition of the Free Press Community Review, tells editor John Kendle about a Mad Hatter's Tea Party recently held at General Vanier School, and discusses the possibility of the old Roxy Theatre/Roxy Lanes building being given a historical designation. |

West End Sweep Off cleans the neighbourhood

Approximately 220 students and staff from the West End’s General Wolfe School and Isaac Brock School helped clean up their local neighbourhoods and fill hundreds of bags of garbage collected from West End walkways and boulevards, and also swept dozens of sidewalks free of sand.

Staff of the Belgian Alliance Credit Union also pitched in for the 29th annual Sweep Off, presented by the West End BIZ.

In these photos, Isaac Brock students patiently wait to get started and then get to work sweeping the street and collecting garbage from the boulevard on Clifton Street. |

Canstar Community News Weekly Video Update for May 11, 2022

Kelsey James, reporter for the West edition of the Free Press Community Review, tells managing editor John Kendle about the scene at Oak Park Collegiate when Grey Cup-winning Oak Park alumni Nic Demski and Brady Oliveira brought the Cup to school. She also tells the story of Milos Milidrag, an artist from the former Yugoslavia who has a career-retrospective show on display at MHC Gallery at Canadian Mennonite University. |

Sharing the joy of Christmas

This month’s Local Heroes feature begins with a letter from Shirley Pantel, who, in response to our calls for readers to nominate local heroes, wrote to us about her friend Lorna Normand.

“I would like to nominate Lorna Normand who deserves to be saluted as a local hero for all she does for the children of Ronald McDonald House. For years, Lorna and her late husband Jim would dress as Santa and Mrs. Claus and attend the annual Christmas party, bringing joy to all the children,” Shirley wrote.

“After her husband passed, a friend joined her so the beloved tradition could continue. Throughout the entire year, Lorna dedicates her time to sewing and making toys and gifts for this event. She is provided with a list of the children and their ages, and not only does she provide gifts for them but their brothers and sisters as well. Even while facing many serious health issues herself, Lorna continues thinking of the children,” Shirley added.

“I have known Lorna for over 60 years and have always known that if she could make the children happy, then she was happy, too.”

Canstar Community News Weekly Video Update for May 4, 2022

Cody Sellar, reporter for the West edition of the Free Press Community Review talks to managing editor John Kendle about how overland flooding is affecting the rural municipalities around the City of Winnipeg, and about the St. James Canucks amazing run to the MMJHL championship. |

Canstar Community News Weekly Video Update for April 27 2022

Simon Fuller, reporter for the East edition of the Free Press Community Review, chats with editor John Kendle about big changes coming to the St. Vital Bridge and a big victory for the women's futsal team at Université de Saint-Boniface. |

‘For the greater good’

This month’s Random Acts of Kindness column begins with an email I received just before Christmas from a woman named Sandra Edmondson, who lives in Oakville, Ont., and wrote to tell me about her friend Kyla Simms, who lives in Winnipeg and had been knitting toques for this city’s less fortunate.

“I have a friend who has been making quality hats with her own money for the homeless population in Winnipeg,” Sandra wrote. “She started with a goal of 50 but has long surpassed this goal.

“She is one amazing woman who has dedicated her life to the well-being of others and she is still doing it to this day. She has a heart so big and is making a difference in the lives of everyone around her.

“I believe people like this are real heroes and should be noticed for their generosity and love. We need more people like this in our community and world.”

Canstar Community News Weekly Video Update for April 13, 2022

Kelsey James, reporter for the West edition of the Free Press Community Review, tells editor John Kendle all about how local artists Lori Millan and Shawna Dempsey won an international competition to design a national LGBTQ2S+ monument in Ottawa. She also updates us on a reconciliation project at École Van Walleghem School and looks ahead to what readers will see in next week's issue. |

Canstar Community News Weekly Video Update for March 30, 2022

Managing editor John Kendle and Sheldon Birnie, reporter for the Free Press Community Review's East edition, talk about the music program at River East Collegiate, a new international development fund being administered by the Manitoba Council on International Cooperation and a local sprinter who's very, very fast. |

Canstar Community News Weekly Video Update for March 23, 2022

Simon Fuller of the Free Press Community Review's East edition stops in to tell us about the latest musical project from prolific St. Boniface-based artist James Culleton, and he tells us all about how the girls hockey team from Collège Jeanne-Sauve won the CTV Division 1 championship in the Winnipeg Women's High School Hockey League. |

Canstar Community News Weekly Video Update for March 16, 2022

Sheldon Birnie, of the Free Press Community Review's East edition, chats with Canstar managing editor about a hockey memorial for a slain teen, high school hockey and basketball finals, and what's coming up next week. |

Canstar Community News Weekly Video Update for March 9, 2022

Canstar managing editor John Kendle chats with Kelsey James, reporter for the West edition of the Free Press Community Review, about a young local jewelry maker raising funds for humanitarian aid for Ukraine, and about a new chapter of the Bear Clan Patrol operating in northwest Winnipeg. |

Canstar Community News Weekly Video Update for March 2, 2022

Canstar managing editor John Kendle chats with Katlyn Streilein, reporter/photographer for the West edition of the Free Press Community Review, about stories in this week's issue of the paper, as well as an assignment she's looking forward to at Assiniboine Park Zoo. |

Canstar Community News Weekly Video Update for Feb. 23, 2022

Simon Fuller of the East edition of the Free Press Community Review tells managing editor John Kendle all about this week's Festival du Voyageur in St. Boniface. |

Winter brings out the ‘snow angel’ in all of us

“It  snowededs!”

My partner Liz and I have been saying this to each other every time it snows for years — since we both shared the same meme of a small, bedraggled dog making that exclamation on what looks to be a post-blizzard New York City street.

There’s no doubt many Winnipeggers have exclaimed similar things this winter (and perhaps much worse).

As of Feb. 15, Winnipeg had received 132 cm of snow this winter season. While that’s not a record, it’s more than twice as much as last year and snowfall has exceeded the 30-year average in each of the past four months (including February, which still has 11 days left as I write this).