Kelsey James

West Winnipeg — Looking back at 2022

January: Walking in a Wolseley Winter Wonderland

Osborne Florist celebrates 50 years

BY KELSEY JAMES

St. Paul’s Crusaders crowned WHSFL champions

The St. Paul’s Crusaders varsity boys football team have been crowned Division 1 champions of the Winnipeg High School Football League.

Westwood fundraiser helps local charities

A Westwood couple is spreading holiday cheer by making and selling Christmas decorations for charity.

River Heights author launches short story collection

River Heights author Chadwick Ginther is inviting readers to explore the world of monsters, giants and witches.

A legend in the baking

An East Kildonan high school student is hoping to become North America’s greatest baker.

Oak Park wins high school JV football title

The Oak Park Raiders junior varsity boys football team beat the Dakota Lancers 35-13 in the Winnipeg High School Football League JV Division championship game on Nov. 12 at Investors Group Field.

Be a Santa to a Senior program returns

An annual program that matches local seniors with holiday gifts has returned for its 15th year.

Staffing agency helps Ukrainian newcomers get hired

A West St. Paul resident is helping Ukrainian newcomers fleeing the war secure employment in Manitoba.

New traffic signals activated in Old Kildonan

The City of Winnipeg has activated a new set of traffic signals at the north intersection of McPhillips Street and Templeton Avenue in the Old Kildonan area.

Increase in crime concerns residents

BY KELSEY JAMES

Award-winning play comes to Gas Station Arts Centre

A local theatre troupe is hitting the stage at Gas Station Arts Centre (2-445 River Ave.) this month with an adaptation of American playwright Ken Ludwig’s The Game’s Afoot.

Elie, Man. teacher nationally recognized

An Elie, Man. teacher has been nationally recognized for his commitment to education.

Renewing a neighbourhood

After two months of brightening an empty lot on Portage Avenue, murals from the West End Business Improvement Zone’s Renew Art Project will be placed around the neighbourhood.

Annual St. Norbert Remembrance Day ceremony returns to in-person event

The annual St. Norbert Remembrance Day ceremony is returning to an in-person service after two years of being virtual.

Oakville receives funding for joint child-care and community centre

Oakville Community Club and the Oakville Early Learning Centre have received over $2 million in funding to build a joint child-care and community centre.

African dance company celebrates 20th anniversary

Contemporary dance group NAfro Dance Productions is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a four-day multi-cultural dance and music event.

Duncan elected in Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood

Evan Duncan was elected city councillor for Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood in Winnipeg’s Oct. 26 civic election.

Evan Duncan elected to city council in Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood

Evan Duncan was elected city councillor for Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood in Winnipeg’s Oct. 26 civic election.

Veterinary clinics participating in Spay Day 2022

BY KELSEY JAMES

Spooktacular displays

West Winnipeg residents have embraced the spooky season with elaborate Halloween decorations and displays, ranging from the hilarious to the downright scary.

Running for reconciliation

A University of Manitoba Bisons hockey player recently organized a Reconciliation Run to mark the second annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Fort Garry Rotary Club celebrates 60 years, honours longtime member

FORT GARRY

Building with a purpose

NORTH END

Community fridge launches in West End

A community fridge has launched in the West End.

Hairstylist reflects on 50 years in industry

BY KELSEY JAMES

Erb to continue as reeve for the RM of Macdonald

RM OF MACDONALD

Demolition of River Heights home approved

WELLINGTON CRESCENT

Truth and Reconciliation Day events scheduled for Winnipeg

WINNIPEG

Three candidates running in Daniel Mac

DANIEL MCINTYRE

Chambers acclaimed in St. Norbert – Seine River

ST. NORBERT - SEINE RIVER

Candidates compete for River Heights – Fort Garry council seat

RIVER HEIGHTS - FORT GARRY

Two candidates vie for Fort Rouge – East Fort Garry city council seat

FORT ROUGE - EAST FORT GARRY

Devi Sharma will be acclaimed in Old Kildonan

BY KELSEY JAMES

Galloping for recovery

ST. NORBERT

Aviation museum welcomes new aircraft

The Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada (2088 Wellington Ave.) unveiled its newest addition on Sept. 7 — a Lockheed L-10A Electra, CF-TCC .

New youth mental health clinic aims to tackle wait times

RIVER HEIGHTS

A whole lotta pull tabs

BY KELSEY JAMES

Luxury living coming to the heart of Tuxedo

TUXEDO

Riel House hosts historic Métis garden

BY KELSEY JAMES

Pet shelters pushed to their limits

BY KELSEY JAMES

Riverviews twins join Wesmen roster

FORT GARRY

No Stone Unturned concert returns to St. John’s Park

The 14th annual No Stone Unturned free concert in honour of Manitoba’s missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls returned to St. John’s Park (1201 Main St.) on Aug. 13 from 1 to 11 p.m.

St. Norbert Arts Centre hosts third annual GerryFest

The St. Norbert Arts Centre hosted GerryFest 2022: Letters of Love to the Community from Aug. 12 to 14. The festival, now in its third year, honours the life and work of the late local musician, artist, playwright and activist Gerry Atwell.

Community coalition creates vision for North End

NORTH END

Legacy group breaks ground on memorial at former River Heights residential school

RIVER HEIGHTS

Residents save tree through vaccination

BY KELSEY JAMES

New mural brightens up West End street

A new mural has appeared on a West End building thanks to the efforts of sustainable supply store and recycling company Cascades, Take Pride Winnipeg and two local artists.

St. Norbert Farmers’ Market announces new director

ST. NORBERT-SEINE RIVER

Mobile overdose prevention RV to hit streets

BY KELSEY JAMES

STAFF REPORTER

CENTENNIAL

A Winnipeg resource centre will be hitting the streets this summer in a new mobile overdose prevention site.

‘Master plan’ outlined for Osborne Village

BY KELSEY JAMES

STAFF REPORTER

OSBORNE VILLAGE

Osborne Village is in the process of getting a facelift thanks to a three-tiered “master plan.”

Dream playhouse donated to Fort Richmond children’s centre

A dream playhouse valued at $13,000 has been donated to Epiphany Children’s Centre (200 Dalhousie Dr.).

Realty Executives First Choice partnered with Verne Reiner Architects, Cornerstone Kitchens and Lowe’s and Rona to design and build the playhouse, which was raffled off on June 11 in support of local children’s charity The Dream Factory.

The playhouse, which was featured at the Manitoba Home and Garden Show and The Dream Factory’s annual auction, was purchased by a doctor in the community and donated to Epiphany Children’s Centre. The structure was transported from Lowe’s and reconstructed at its new home on July 6.

Canada’s largest inflatable theme park opens

BY KELSEY JAMES

STAFF REPORTER

BROOKLANDS

Canada’s largest outdoor inflatable bounce park will tower over King Edward Street until the end of September.

Sanford hockey player named athlete of the year

SANFORD

A Sanford Collegiate multi-sport athlete has been named the Manitoba High Schools Athletic Association’s Female Athlete of the Year.

Seventeen-year-old Gwen Bestland was kept in the dark about winning the award by friends, family and coaches. Two days after graduating, Bestland thought she was headed into Winnipeg for lunch with her parents when they surprised her with a detour to the 2022 MHSAA athlete of the year ceremony at Sport Manitoba.

Surrounded by other high school athletes from across the province, Bestland was joined by her hockey coach and two teammates before learning she was a nominee for the AAA girls category.

Community group receives funding to plant new trees

RIVERVIEW

LORD ROBERTS

After a map outlining Riverview’s diseased trees was released two years ago, neighbours Wendy Botkin and May Wady knew they had to take action.

Last summer, Botkin, Wady and the newly founded Trees Riverview committee co-ordinated the planting of 55 disease-resistant trees on the boulevards of Arnold Avenue and Baltimore Road to revitalize the neighbourhood’s beloved urban canopy.

On a bicycle made for fun

OSBORNE VILLAGE

EXCHANGE DISTRICT

A people-powered pub on wheels will be making its way through Osborne Village and the Exchange District this summer.

Pedal Pub started welcoming guests to its 15-person party bike on June 4. The travelling pub crawl experience takes pedallers to microbreweries and restaurants, and has been drawing a crowd of Winnipeggers eager to celebrate birthdays, bachelorette parties or corporate events, said general manager Randi Davreux.

Annual bike parade returns to Wolseley streets

The Wolseley + West Broadway Bike Parade returned to the streets on the morning of June 12. The parade, now in its third year, chose the theme Every Day is Earth Day for this year’s festivities.

The parade started on Raglan Road before making its way down Wolseley Avenue to Mulvey School, where riders gathered in the playground. There was a raffle for children, a DJ and dancing.

The annual event is hosted by the Wolseley Residents’ Assocation, which works to improve the community and informs residents of changes, issues and events.

Finding a buddy

WAVERLEY HEIGHTS

When the bench is empty everyone has a friend. If it’s full, there’s still work to be done.

On June 20, Chancellor School (1520 Chancellor Dr.) unveiled its new buddy bench, or friendship bench, as part of the Winnipeg Police Association’s Cool 2Be Kind Campaign. The bench, brightly coloured in shades of blue, purple and green, was chosen to reflect the school’s colours.

The idea is simple: when a child feels lonely, they can sit on the buddy bench. This signals to other kids they are feeling isolated, and the hope is another child will invite them to play.

Norwest Co-op Community Health Centre marks anniversary

INKSTER INDUSTRIAL PARK

A northwest Winnipeg health centre is celebrating its 50-year anniversary.

“Fifty years ago, our community came together. There were no supports in the neighbourhood so the community started our co-op,” said Norwest Co-op Community Health Centre executive director Nancy Heinrichs, adding the organization began with primary care services and a daycare. “It’s really community-driven and we’re the only health co-op in Manitoba.”

Norwest has about 160 staff and offers a range of services, including primary health care and a counselling unit with family and youth supports. They also have community development services in Manitoba Housing and were the first organization in Winnipeg to create a “huddle hub” where youth could connect with services and resources in one easy-access location.

Square dancing the night away

ST. JAMES-ASSINIBOIA

The definition of square dancing is friendship set to music. Or at least that’s what St. James square dancing club the Whirlaway Westerners believe it is.

Linden Woods resident Carole Grier started square dancing in 1986 after attending a provincial convention in Winnipeg. Shortly after, her and her husband joined a beginners’ club.

“The costumes caught my eye. I just loved it,” Grier said. “As soon as the music started and the people started dancing they smiled, and I thought, ‘Wow, that’s for me.’”

An inspiration to all

KELSEY JAMES

STAFF REPORTER

ST. JAMES-ASSINIBOIA

When five-year-old Spencer Gamey grows up he wants to be himself. So far, he’s doing a good job at demonstrating the importance of that goal.

North End block party returns

The North End’s largest block party returned for the first time in three years on June 16.

Residents gathered on Aberdeen Avenue, between Salter and Powers Street, to celebrate the hope and resiliency of their community with games, face painting, a dunk tank, a petting zoo, bouncy castles, snack carts, a barbecue and entertainment from local musicians.

The annual block party is organized by Inner City Youth Alive, a local non-profit serving children in the North End who experience poverty, abuse and neglect. The organization expected more than 900 people would attend the celebration at press time.

Board game lovers strike big for local charity

WEST END

ST. VITAL

Two Winnipeg YouTube stars have raised over $16,000 for local mental health services in their first 24-hour livestream.

Cousins Dylann Bobei and Carlo Sobral started their YouTube channel, All You Can Board, in late 2020 when they were faced with more free time owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Indigenous creators selected for prestigious filmmaking program

ST. JAMES

CHARLESWOOD

Nine Indigenous creators have been selected for the annual CBC New Indigenous Voices program, and this year’s roster includes two west Winnipeg students.

St. James resident Clay Mykietowich, 21, has always been creative and artistic, so pursuing a degree in theatre and film design from the University of Winnipeg in the design stream was a natural fit.

ReLeaf for Winnipeg’s urban canopy

CHARLESWOOD

WAVERLEY WEST

Winnipeg neighbourhoods will be getting a little greener this summer thanks to the ReLeaf tree planting program.

Every spring and fall, Trees Winnipeg offers subsidized tree packages to private property owners in the hopes of diversifying the city’s urban canopy.

Jr. Bisons boys club volleyball team wins national title

FORT GARRY

A combination of brains and brawn helped the Jr. Bisons boys U18 club volleyball team win the title at the 2022 Volleyball Canada national youth championships.

The Jr. Bisons went undefeated 9-0 and only dropped two sets at the national competition, which was held May 18 to 24 at Edmonton EXPO Centre in Edmonton, Alta.

“We played our best game every single game, and we set our goals high and achieved them together as a team. It was a pretty cool feeling,” said Jr. Bisons libero player Thomas Kiesman, 17, who was also named the MVP of the tournament. “It felt even better because there’s been so much delay. We finally got what we’ve been working toward for three years.”

A community’s cornerstone

ST. NORBERT

Judy Williams can still recall waiting in front of the St. Norbert monastery while her father went inside to purchase cheese from the monks. She wasn’t allowed to go in with him — there were rules prohibiting women from entering the site, except on Sunday for mass — but it was a walk she enjoyed joining.

For 85 years, the St. Norbert monastery was home to more than 50 Trappist monks. The land, located near the junction of the Red and La Salle rivers, was formerly a busy centre for hunting, fishing and Indigenous trades. The site evolved by the 1820s into a French-speaking Métis settlement.

“We know we were and are a Métis village, and a lot of that heritage was not passed onto us as residents of St. Norbert,” Williams said, noting its history wasn’t part of her education when she was a child. “Saving the monastery grounds and making it a provincial park was a very important thing for our neighbourhood.”

Local teachers win prestigious teaching excellence awards

WESTWOOD

WOLSELEY

Two Winnipeg teachers have been awarded the 2021 Governor General’s history award for excellence in teaching.

“I focus a lot on issues concerning oppression, the rise of authoritarian states, deconstructing ideologies and disseminating messages in digital media,” said Westwood Collegiate social studies and history teacher Kelly Hiebert. “We also look a lot at issues regarding human rights abuses in Canada, like residential schools.”

New pet store is for the dogs – and local animal rescues

ST. JAMES-ASSINIBOIA

The possibilities are endless for a new St. James business owner.

Chelsea Fitch, 25, opened the doors of pet store Endless Pawsibilities (1695 Sargent Ave.) on April 1. Her approach is a little different than other pet stores you may be familiar with, though. While Fitch carries the same products as larger chain operations such as Pet Valu, PetSmart and Petland, her goal is to also support animal rescues in Winnipeg and the surrounding areas.

Each month, Fitch partners with an animal rescue and plans two fundraising events. She sometimes has adoptable animals in-store and often hosts bake sales and sells other locally made goods, such as jewelry, candles or honey, with proceeds going to the rescues. She also sells Scentsy, Mary Kay and Pampered Chef products, so her commission from those sales also goes to the rescue.

Prison book drive and bake sale returns to West End

WEST END

A popular annual West End book drive is returning this month after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Manitoba Library Association’s Prison Libraries Committee and Bar None Winnipeg will hold their fifth annual book and bake sale on Sat., June 11 at the Cindy Klassen Recreation Complex (999 Sargent Ave.) from noon to 4:30 p.m.

West End resident Jacquie Nicholson, 38, has been organizing the event for the past five years, which raised over $3,000 in 2019.

New splash pad and play structure approved for Crescentwood

KELSEY JAMES

STAFF REPORTER

CRESCENTWOOD

The Corydon Community Centre’s Crescentwood site (1170 Corydon Ave.) will soon be home to a new $1.5 million splash pad and play structure.

Local student award winners inspired by Terry Fox

FORT GARRY

TUXEDO

Two Winnipeg students have been named winners of the 2022 Terry Fox humanitarian awards.

Justin Langan and Katrina Lengsavath were chosen from over 500 applicants to win this year’s award, which have recognized the best of Canada’s young humanitarians for 40 years.

St. Norbert Farmers’ Market kicks off summer

KELSEY JAMES

STAFF REPORTER

ST. NORBERT

The St. Norbert Farmers’ Market’s expanded outdoor site has returned for its 34th summer season.

The Beer Can opens for another summer season

WEST BROADWAY

The Beer Can outdoor pub and restaurant, located outside the Granite Curling Club at 1 Granite Way, re-opened for its third consecutive year on Sunday, May 22.

Raj Maniar, The Beer Can’s general manager, said opening was wildly successful. The business had people waiting at the door, ready to come in for a noon pint, and The Beer Can team was consistently busy pouring brews and slinging food for the rest of the day.

“The sun was perfect. Everyone that came through was happy to be outdoors and drinking beer in the sun,” Maniar said. “It was also good to get my staff in. We were waiting for awhile because of the extra snow. We planned to be open May 1, and then the weather just didn’t co-operate.”

New book helps kids deal with the loss of a sibling

ST. JAMES-ASSINIBOIA

A St. James author is helping children tackle a heavy topic through a new activity book.

Out of the Storm: A Therapeutic Activity Book for Kids Who have Lost a Sibling is a hands-on experience that helps children navigate through the turmoil of losing a sibling. Joanne Marks, 62, self-published the book two months ago, and he received positive feedback and requests from organizations, councellors, death doulas and funeral homes across the city.

“I was searcing for resources from children when I started working with grief and children in the ’80s,” said Marks, who has since become a thanatologist (someoone who examines death, dying and bereveament from different perspectives).

St. James student raises money for CancerCare Manitoba

ST. JAMES-ASSINIBOIA

Justice Goerzen, 10, spent a year organizing a toy sale at Buchanan Elementary School to raise money for CancerCare Manitoba.

After the COVID-19 pandemic halted Goerzen’s plans for two years, easing restrictions meant he was finally able to host the event in the last week of April. As a result of his hard work to organize, plan and promote the sale, Goerzen was able to raise nearly $800 for CancerCare.

Charleswood teen, athlete of the year

CHARLESWOOD

A Charleswood swimmer has been named Sport Manitoba’s 2021 junior athlete of the year.

Mia West, 16, has been making a splash in the world of competitive swimming since she was just four years old. She swam with the St. James Seals in the children’s program before joining Manta Swim Club when she was 13.

“I’ve never been recognized across all the sports,ß so it was super exciting,” West said. “I’ve had awards from swimming, but never across the board. It was a huge honour.”

Manito Ahbee Festival kicks off 17th year

The 17th annual Manito Ahbee festival celebrating Indigenous arts, culture and music kicked off at Red River Exhibition Park (3977 Portage Ave.) on May 18.

The opening ceremony featured a private pipe ceremony, horse parade and lighting of the sacred fire.

Manito Ahbee ran until May 23. For more information, visit www.manitoahbee.com

— Staff

Laugh out loud at The Park Theatre

RIVERVIEW

The Winnipeg Comedy Showcase is returning to The Park Theatre this month.

The 29th installment of the show will be held on May 19 at 8 p.m. and features local comedians Jordan Welwood, Dana Smith, Mike Green, Matt Nightingale, Spencer Adamus and musical comedy duo The Lady Lumps.

“

FRC brings home badminton championship banner

FORT RICHMOND

Fort Richmond Collegiate’s varsity badminton team dominated the provincial high school championships, earning the school the championship banner for the fifth year in a row.

Grade 12 students Tiffany Cheng and Ashwin Chidambara Subhash placed third in varsity mixed doubles while Andrew Gu finished second in varsity boys singles.

“Having a goal to work towards set us up for success,” Cheng said. “I tried to make it into the top three for provincials, so in order to do so we had to put our mindset into winning. We trained pretty much twice a week, in the mornings, and we had to really push ourselves to the limit. Having that goal to reach is what drove us to train hard.”

Walking from coast to coast for Special Olympics Manitoba

BRIDGWATER

A Bridgwater resident is celebrating his 80th birthday by virtually walking across Canada to raise funds for Special Olympics Manitoba.

Tom Creighton, 79, has walked more than 900 miles and raised about $35,000. His virtual walk began in Vancouver, B.C. on Jan. 1 and will end in Halifax, N.S. — a distance of 2,761 miles, or 4,434 kilometres — in December.

“I’ve got about a nine- to 10-mile route that I walk every morning,” said Creighton, who will be turning 80 in two months. “I leave somewhere between 4:30 to 5 a.m., and finish around 7:30. It takes me two-and-a-half to three hours. I do that six days a week and then take Sundays off to recharge.”

Scents and sensibility

KELSEY JAMES

STAFF REPORTER

EXCHANGE DISTRICT

An Exchange District business is helping customers create their signature scent.

Former refugee opens new art exhibit at MHC Gallery

TUXEDO

A former war refugee is opening a new art exhibit at MHC Gallery (600 Shaftesbury Blvd.) this month.

Who Am I? A Retrospective 1997-2022 is Milos Milidrag’s first solo exhibition coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic. It considers changes and milestones in Milidrag’s art career, including his response to leaving former Yugoslavia as a war refugee.

“It’s about what I’ve done for 25 years — from when I came to Canada to today,” Milidrag said. “In that time, I’ve switched styles three times, but all of them have a connection. This show contains every style, but mostly more recent works and what I’ve made but never shown.”

Bombers players bring Grey Cup to Oak Park

CHARLESWOOD

When Oak Park High School principal Troy Scott received a call from Winnipeg Blue Bombers wide receiver and Oak Park alumnus Nic Demski, asking if he could bring the Grey Cup to the school, signing off on the idea was a no-brainer.

“He said, ‘I want to bring the cup back to Coach Nixon before he retires,’” Scott said. “I’ve been to a lot of different schools, and this is really special.”

On the morning of May 2, Oak Park welcomed back Demski and Bombers running back Brady Oliveira, another former Oak Park player. The assembly included speeches from the players, Pembina Trails School Division staff and a highlight reel of Demski and Oliveira’s top plays from their time with the Oak Park Raiders.

Westwood student wins St. James SchoolDivision March art contest

KELSEY JAMES

STAFF REPORTER

WESTWOOD

ST. JAMES

Bee Wellness celebrating 10 years

CHARLESWOOD

A Charleswood seniors’ fitness facility is celebrating a decade in business.

Candace Swick, older-adult rehab therapist and owner of Bee Wellness (located at 3680 Roblin Blvd.), said running a wellness facility has been her dream since she was a little girl.

“I grew up with a lot of older people, and when my grandmother got sick, I started realizing where my niche was,” Swick said. “I didn’t connect with people my own age. I loved being with older people because they appreciated things.”

Residents grapple with heavy rainfall aftermath

KELSEY JAMES

STAFF REPORTER

LORD ROBERTS

During the April 23 downpour, Deanna Daigneault logged 7,000 steps on her Fitbit.

Wesmen b-baller named U Sports player of the year

FORT GARRY

A University of Winnipeg Wesmen athlete was recently named the 2022 U Sports basketball player of the year.

Keylyn Filewich, 24, has been playing basketball since she was 10 years old. It wasn’t a sport she initially liked, but by junior high school, she started thinking she would like to play at the university level.

“I played on my first provincial team in Grade 8 and that was my first taste of playing at a higher level,” said Filewich, who helped the Wesmen reach the national final this past season. “We went to tournaments in the States and then we had a nationals with all the provinces. That was kind of my opening to seeing all the talent across the country.”

Fort Richmond food drive underway

KELSEY JAMES

STAFF REPORTER

FORT RICHMOND

A former Subaru dealership on Pembina Highway — slated for demolition next month — has become the largest “tin for the bin” site in the city.

Residents address sewage overflow

KELSEY JAMES

STAFF REPORTER

WOLSELEY

The Wolseley Residents’ Association is hosting a series of community events addressing sewage overflow in the neighbourhood.

Charleswood teen makes splash at national trials

CHARLESWOOD

A Charleswood swimmer was dubbed “Canada’s fastest-ever 13 year old” at the recent 2022 Canadian swimming trials.

Halle West swam 2:18.21 in the juniors-only ‘Super Final’ 200-metre individual medley on April 5 in Victoria, B.C. The title was previously held by Summer McIntosh, who finished with 2:18.42 in 2020.

West, who has been swimming competitively since she was just six years old, says her main goal was to go for the experience — but she also had her sights set on breaking Manitoba’s 100-metre breaststroke record.

St. Norbert Farmers’ Market seeks new director

KELSEY JAMES

STAFF REPORTER

ST. NORBERT

A familiar face at the St. Norbert Farmers’ Market is stepping down from her post as executive director.

Tuxedo resident directing dinner theatre show

KELSEY JAMES

STAFF REPORTER

TUXEDO

After a two-year break owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, Stonewall’s Quarry Choristers are preparing for a return to the stage.

The fascinating life of a bookseller

KELSEY JAMES

STAFF REPORTER

A Whyte Ridge resident has made his directorial debut with a documentary about his uncle.

Arthur MacKinnon chose to profile award-winning Canadian independent bookseller John Oleksiuk, 77, in his upcoming film, Johnny O & the Book Biz.

Two local speedskaters crowned champions

RIVER HEIGHTS

BRIDGWATER

Two amateur speedskaters sped their way to the top of the podium recently.

Adam Buchwald, 16, and Skylar Van Horne, 14, were crowned overall champions at 2022 Canadian Youth Short Track (West) championships, held March 25 to 27 at the Selkirk Recreation Complex. The event was hosted by Speed Skating Manitoba and welcomed young athletes between the ages of 11 and 15 from across western Canada.

Students win $1,000 reconciliation grant

KELSEY JAMES

STAFF REPORTER

LINDEN WOODS

A group of École Van Walleghem School students are imagining a Canada reconciled.

Winnipeg design chosen for LGBTQ+ monument

By kelsey james

STAFF REPORTER

WEST END

FORT ROUGE

Eyes on the prize

UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA

FORT GARRY

University of Manitoba Bisons swimmer Kelsey Wog made a splash at this year’s U Sports swimming championships, earning herself the Canada West swimmer of the week title from the conference.

Wog, 23, capped off her successful Canada West career in Calgary, Alta. over the weekend of March 26. The fifth-year swimmer ended the meet with a record-breaking 1:04:88 time in the 100-metre breaststroke and 30.45 seconds in the 50-metre breaststroke.

Indigenous travel agency takes flight

A partnership between Treaty One Development Corp. and Indigenous-owned travel agency Indigeno Travel is bolstering reconciliation one flight at a time.

Working with Treaty One Development Corp., Great Canadian Travel and Continental Travel Group will make Indigeno Travel one of Canada’s largest full-service travel agencies. It offers corporate and leisure trip planning and highlights Indigenous tours in Canada and abroad. There is also an online booking engine for people looking to plan their own vacations.

Job creation was one of the driving forces of Indigeno Travel, co-founder Chris Maxfield said at the travel agency’s launch ceremony on March 30. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s call to action #92 asks that Canadian businesses ensure Indigenous peoples have access to jobs, training and educational opportunities.

Indigeno Travel will be making due on that commitment by introducing over 100 new jobs in the coming years.

Neighbours helping neighbours

ST. JAMES-ASSINIBOIA

A soon-to-be-released web application is aiming to make St. James a little bit safer.

Jeri Stern conceived of the idea for his Respond Now community development app 10 years ago while experiencing homelessness.

“I became a resident of Siloam Mission,” Stern said. “I spent my time walking back and forth, living at what is now called the Salvation Army Centre of Hope and using resources along Henry Street.”

New virtual tour explores U of M’s forgotten history

FORT GARRY

An experimental fur farm, a coach house for a horse-drawn sleigh and a rifle range are just a few of the buildings that used to sit on the University of Manitoba’s campus.

The Lost Campus: Forgotten Spaces and Places at the University of Manitoba is a new virtual tour that exposes the bizarre, unknown history of the roughly 145-year-old post-secondary school.

Wayne Chan, a research computer analyst at the U of M’s Centre for Earth Observation Science, created a Google Earth map to showcase areas and buildings that no longer exist today. The virtual tour features old photographs juxtaposed against current satellite imagery of the university’s Fort Garry, Bannatyne and Broadway campuses.

Kitchen business to feature at home and garden show

RIVER HEIGHTS

River Heights business owner Al Keith was looking for change when he stumbled across kitchen design.

Keith, owner of Tenten Kitchens & Contracting, always enjoyed working with his hands — but it wasn’t until an acquaintance pointed out his talent that he decided to make it his full-time job.

“Their comment was moving. They said, ‘When you’re not working, you seem to take a lot of joy from building stuff that’s exceptional,’” he said.

West Winnipeg kids take over Jets game

Three lucky west Winnipeg kids were chosen to spend a night experiencing their dream jobs at the March 27 Winnipeg Jets game against the Arizona Coyotes.

The takeover was part of the first Winnipeg Jets NextGen broadcast. The kids were partnered with media pros to fulfill several game-day roles, including public-address announcer, game host, TSN3 host, JetsTV reporter and CJOB radio commentator.

The game also opened with a performance by the Winnipeg Youth Chorus, who sang O Canada, and included redesigned imagery for all in-game elements, including player animations, an all-new in-game hype video and starting lineup introduction. There were even specialty youth-sized T-shirts featuring the Jets NextGen logo available for sale during the game.

St. James resident Kyler van de Vijsel, 15, was one of several young people selected to participate. He worked with radio broadcasters Jamie Thomas and Paul Edmonds of CJOB to call the game.

Fort Whyte remains Tory

FORT WHYTE

The Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba narrowly retained the seat once held by former Manitoba premier Brian Pallister in the Fort Whyte byelection on March 22.

PC candidate Obby Khan was in a back-and-forth battle with Liberal candidate Willard Reaves for much of the evening as polls came before pulling ahead to claim the southwest Winnipeg electoral district.

With all 56 polls reporting, Khan claimed 3,050 votes while Reaves fell short with 2,853. NDP candidate Trudy Schroeder finished a distant third with 1,112 votes.

Sanford Sabres varsity girls win division title

SANFORD

Despite nearly not having a team this year, the Sanford Sabres are champions of the Winnipeg Women’s High School Hockey League’s Winnipeg Free Press Division 2, after beating the Garden City Gophers in the best-of-three final series.

The series was a hard-fought battle. On March 15, the Gophers triumphed over the Sabres 2-1 in an overtime shootout at BellMTS Iceplex, but the Sanford-based team evened things up the following day with a 2-1 victory.

The Sabres then defeated the Gophers 3-0 in the third and deciding game on March 17, earning them the championship banner.

Maples wrestler steps into the TV ring

MAPLES

Chad Osinski might have been destined for a career in professional wrestling. He was born on a Monday night and, during the birth, his father was watching WWE Monday Night Raw.

“You could say I had a passion for wrestling since arriving into the world,” Osinski, 20, said.

The Maples resident has been obsessed with all things wrestling since he was a child, including collecting action figures, DVDs, VHS tapes, magazines and other collectibles (“you name it, I own it,” he said). Growing up, Osinski spent a lot of time watching professional wrestling with his grandfather. Although his grandfather passed away in 2021, Osinski promised him he would take his “wild and crazy dream” and turn it into a reality.

River Heights speedskater named to national team

RIVER HEIGHTS

A River Heights teenager is making a name for herself in the world of speedskating after placing second overall at Long Track Canada Cup 3, a junior speedskating event that Speed Skating Canada used to name its national junior team.

Sofia Bieber began speedskating when she was just eight years old, after her parents introduced a “rule” to their two daughters — they had to take some form of skating every year.

“I was scared of the jumping in figure skating, and I didn’t like the amount of equipment you needed for hockey, power skating or ringette, so I took speedskating,” Bieber, now 16, said.

Garden City varsity girls basketball finishes first

GARDEN CITY

After an undefeated regular season, the Garden City Collegiate girls varsity baketball team won the Kilcona Peguis Athletic Conference championship

The Gophers triumphed over Miles Macdonell 58-33 in the final. The team was ranked fourthin the province at press time, and was heading to the AAAA provincial tournament, beginning March 12.

For sisters Arriana and Amira Lawrence, the goal was always to dominate their Tier 1 division.

CG Pure Wash puts spotlight on pet care

STURGEON CREEK

An entrepreneur’s pet products have caught the attention of dog lovers and are now being sold at five Pet Valu locations in Winnipeg.

Celeste Goncalves worked in the dental industry for 20 years before founding her home-based business, CG Pure Wash. The Sturgeon Creek resident started making her own soap 17 years ago after learning her son was allergic to most store-bought products.

Since then, her line has expanded to feature pet products. Goncalves’s dog, a mastiff named Charlie, also lives with food and environmental allergies. Goncalves struggled to find limited-ingredient pet products to accommodate her furry friend’s needs, so she decided to create her own.

Massey JV girls win division

Despite a rocky start to the season, the Vincent Massey Trojans junior varsity girls basketball team took home the Winnipeg Tier 1 championship earlier this month.

The Trojans seized the title with a 71-56 victory against the Westwood Warriors.

“We didn’t start off the best, but we made our way there by practising five times a week, pushing through workouts and working together as a team to win,” Grade 10 student and forward Keara Howden said.

While Howden and teammate Paige Schatkowsky played club basketball when school-based sports were postponed, Grade 10 student and guard Joumana Gouda hadn’t played since Grade 8.

Northwest schools unite for community

NORTHWEST WINNIPEG

A joint effort between five northwest schools has raised thousands of items for a local women’s centre.

Around the Christmas holidays, Garden Grove School principal Nancy Karpinsky learned that North Point Douglas Women’s Centre’s cupboards were bare and in desperate need of donations to keep its food hamper program running.

While January and February are not typical times to run a food drive, Karpinsky says, she reached out to her colleagues at Tyndall Park Community School, Ecole Stanley Knowles School, Meadows West School and Ecole Waterford Springs School to organize a “Unity Challenge.”

River Heights school sells ribbons for Ukraine

RIVER HEIGHTS

A group of École River Heights School students are leading a fundraiser to support humanitarian efforts in Ukraine.

The school’s sustainable development goals club — otherwise known as Team 17 — has been busy handcrafting and selling ribbon pins in the colours of the Ukrainian flag.

At press time, the group had raised approximately $1,300. Proceeds will be going to Canadian Red Cross, which committed to doubling all donations until March 18, or up to $10,000,000.

Annual concert series gives back to charity

NORTH END

Paul Ong thought he was abandoning his dreams of performing when he immigrated to Winnipeg from the Philippines over a decade ago.

Instead, the “opportunities opened up” for the Garden Grove School vice-principal and co-producer of the annual Concert for a Cause, which donates all proceeds to local charities.

“When I was in the Philippines, my mom would always say, ‘I wish we could have a show where you use your voice while creating positive change in the community.’ I didn’t realize it was going to happen and it was going to happen in Canada,” said Ong, who started singing when he was just four years old and later trained classically.

Keeping cozy with wood heat

WOLSELEY

Joe Ackerman always offers his visitors a pair of slippers. It’s a kind gesture, but also a necessary one — the Wolseley resident gutted the heating in his house and, during a winter deep freeze, warming the structure by fire is no small feat.

“If you’re not wearing slippers, the cold kind of bites your feet,” he said.

Ackerman has decided to live off the grid in an attempt to make his house more sustainable and reduce his needs.

Tuxedo artist ‘flourishes’ in new exhibition

A Tuxedo artist is ‘flourishing’ in a solo exhibition at cre8ery gallery and studio.

This month, Jola Liebzeit invites viewers to “savour the moment” through colourful scenes of florals and landscapes. Her new exhibit, Flourish, has been a process for more than five years for the Winnipeg-based artist specializing in acrylics, watercolour, ink and pastels layered on canvas or wood.

Flourish will be Liebzeit’s third solo exhibit, although she has also participated in several group exhibitions.

“This exhibition is not about the big picture, it’s about enjoying the here and now,” Liebzeit said. “My grandparents on my mom’s side were put in concentration camps, and my dad’s parents had siblings that were in the war. I became a product of that, and I started diving into that when the pandemic hit.

Making the most of mother nature

ST. VITAL

A St. Vital resident opted to make the most of this winter’s unparalleled amount of precipitation.

Vinora Bennett’s front yard snow sculpture exhibit, dubbed “Bears on Barrington (Avenue),” has been a popular seasonal fixture in her neighbourhood for the past two years.

Last winter, Bennett began her new ice sculpting hobby by mixing snow with water to create a mould she could carve into. She eventually moved on to make her first full-scale sculpture out of an eight-foot block of packed snow. It was easy and smooth to carve, she says, but she had to visualize the finished product while trying to chip away at the excess snow.

Northwest Watchers join Bear Clan Patrol

NORTHWEST WINNIPEG

Northwest Winnipeg neighbourhoods are now a little bit safer thanks to a new chapter of Bear Clan Patrol.

After seeing a string of social media posts about break-ins and vandalism, Garry Alejo — whose lived in the Meadows West neighbourhood for nearly a decade — helped form a community-run watch group called Northwest Watchers Patrol Group.

“It started as a community initiative in 2004,” Alejo said. “The first meeting was on my driveway, and then we moved into a community centre.”

Vincent Massey Collegiate basketball player is MHSAA athlete of the week

The Manitoba High School Athletics Association’s urban athlete of the week for the week ending March 2 is Ayva Khan of the Vincent Massey Collegiate Trojans basketball team.

At press time, Khan was averaging 15 points, eight rebounds and four steals per game. She was named “player of the game” at this year’s Bison Classic and a tournament all-star.

“Ayva is a key member of our team having played for the varsity team for the past three years. She is also a member of the key club and grad committee at our school,” said her coach, Stacy Hawash.

A Grade 12 student, Khan maintains a 95 per cent academic average and also competes in track and field during the school year.

Artisan raises nearly $50K for Ukraine

NORTH KILDONAN

Like many other Ukrainian Manitobans, Zoya Kostetsky has endured sleepless nights since Russia invaded her home country the evening of Feb. 24.

“I woke up in the morning and my aunt sent me a message saying they have a war,” Kostetsky said. “It’s been really hard, but it’s been nice to see the support people are showing.”

Kostetsky is the owner of local jewelry business Prairie Clay. The 22-year-old immigrant was born in Ukraine and came to Winnipeg in 2005, but remains connected with family and friends still living in Europe.

Riverview Community Centre searches for decades-old artwork

The Riverview Community Centre is asking for the public’s help in locating a missing decades-old painting.

After the Game, by Winnipeg-based artist Bill Mason, was taken from the walls of the community centre in the early 2000s, according to staff members now on the lookout for the artwork.

“We have no clue where it could have gone, but we’re hoping it might still be in Riverview somewhere,” said Riverview Community Centre general manager Andrew Ward.

The painting, which memorializes the Riverview Community Centre decades ago, was painted by Mason when he was in his early 20s. The Riverview native spent his childhood skating and playing hockey at the centre before going on to become a famous Canadian naturalist, author, artist and filmmaker. He made 18 films with the National Film Board, was nominated for two Academy Awards, wrote two books and had a Government of Canada stamp issued in his honour.

Cartier fire chief celebrates 30 years of service

The R.M. of Cartier’s fire chief is celebrating 30 years of service, and he’s crediting his colleagues for helping him achieve the milestone.

“I’m the chief, but I have so many fantastic people that support me,” Dan Bouchard, 47, said. “My deputy chief, Grant Wilson, is over 20 years himself and waiting for a medal to come in so he can be properly recognized. Our second deputy chief is not far behind, either. It’s teamwork, and I couldn’t do this without their support.”

Bouchard has been chief of Cartier’s volunteer fire department since 2003. He joined the department in September 1991 as a junior firefighter while he was in his last year of high school, when the fire chief at the time approached the Grade 12 student to join the department.

Since taking on the chief position, Bouchard has welcomed the challenging work, which also includes highway calls related to distracted driving and winter driving conditions.

Former Fort Garry Legion site takes on new life

The former home of the Fort Garry Legion is taking on a new life as construction begins on an infill housing project.

The Fort Garry Legion stood at 1125 Pembina Hwy. since 1949 but was demolished in early January after the group secured a newly renovated location up the road at 762 Pembina Hwy.

The 82-unit development that will replace the old Legion, called “The Point on Pembina,” will be a modern six-story residential and commercial live/work building, according to a Feb. 16 news release.

Foresight Development Group is spearheading the build along with KNH Sawatzky & Associates and the Bouchard Brothers. The Point on Pembina will feature 76 one- and two-bedroom suites, as well as six “live-work” units on the main floor equipped with dedicated storefront entrances and integrated front decks.

Cannabis and creativity

A River Heights cannabis store is supporting local artists while raising money for charity.

Cottontail Cannabis Co., located at 671 Corydon Ave., is selling an assortment of prints by Winnipeg-based artists with proceeds going to the Rainbow Resource Centre as part of their new initiative, “The Creative Quarter.”

Pieces range from $15 to $20. Twenty-five per cent of the cost goes to charity while the rest gets given to the artist.

Brad Dutton, who does marketing and media for Cottontail Cannabis Co., said that sales were slow during the first quarter, but he hopes the second will result in a larger donation for Rainbow Resource Centre.

Livestreamed concert series hits the right notes

With the COVID-19 pandemic continuously derailing the music industry, a Winnipeg-based production company has found a way to make the shows go on.

Red Tie Live, an interactive concert livestream, uses multi-tracked and mixed audio to highlight Winnipeg’s metal, punk and hard rock bands.

“We focus on these genres because they don’t get a lot of attention,” said co-producer and video director Sean Perrun. “Manitoba Music, for instance, promotes more palatable artists. Metal and punk bands don’t get the same exposure.”

Red Tie Live entered the Winnipeg music scene about four years ago. The project, previously called Live at the Jam Shack, began as a one-camera livestream.

Riverview residents get to the root of tree loss

A group of Riverview residents are taking a hands-on approach to addressing the threat to their neighbourhood’s tree canopy.

Trees Riverview founders Wendy Botkin and May Wady started the community group in 2021 while grieving the loss of hundreds of boulevard trees.

“It went from being something quite personal to looking at the neighbourhood and saying, ‘We’re losing a lot of our beautiful trees,’” Trees Riverview communications manager Carol Thiessen said.

“We’re losing trees from emerald ash borers, we’re losing trees from Dutch elm disease ... we’re a mature neighbourhood with mature trees.”

Pembina Trails superintendent to step down

A metro school board’s longtime leader has announced his retirement.

Superintendent Ted Fransen submitted his retirement letter to trustees last month, while commiting to oversee the district until the 2022-23 school year gets underway.

“It’s been a wonderful, wonderful adventure,” Fransen said. “I’ve been overwhelmed by the expressions of appreciation and gratitude from across the division and around Manitoba.”

Fransen says his wife, children and grandchildren have been “incredibly supportive and understanding” of his career, which has taken him away from family a lot of evenings.

River Heights – Fort Garry councillor looks ahead

After a challenging year owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, Coun. John Orlikow (River Heights – Fort Garry) is looking forward to a fresh start.

Orlikow said he saw a lot “community action and support for one another” in 2021, including food drives and other initiatives neighbourhoods in his ward organized.

“It’s been a difficult year, for sure, but I’ve seen a lot of bright spots,” he added. “We’ve had to make some adjustments here and there, but the priorities the neighbourhoods have are still getting done, it just might take a little longer, like repairing streets and back lanes.

“The River Heights – Fort Garry ward wants to know their government is working together to make sure services are improved, such as snow clearing on sidewalks and boulevards. They’re also concerned about where taxes and fees go.”

Rollins plans for 2022

With the start of a new year, Coun. Sherri Rollins (Fort Rouge – East Fort Garry) has laid out some of her goals.

“As a local city councillor, I’m excited about the little things and re-connecting with the community centre boards, library liaisons and community members doing such awesome work talking about the issues that matter to them,” Rollins said recently.

Rollins acknowledged her ward was hit hard during the COVID-19 pandemic, with some neighbourhoods having high test positivity rates. There are a lot of seniors’ homes and congregate living arrangements in the areas, and Rollins noticed food shortages, rental issues and poverty, especially along Portage Avenue and in Osborne Village.

“On the whole, the community centres have played such a strong role in keeping folks happy and getting them outside for physical and mental activity,” Rollins said.

Parents reject return to in-person learning

Manitoba’s in-person learning resumed recently, but not all parents were thrilled about the return to school.

Linden Woods resident Melanie Martin is one parent that opted to keep her child at home.

“The hospitals aren’t really functioning, so to have kids and staff at school getting sick just doesn’t seem like a good idea to me,” Martin said.

Martin said her son, who’s in Grade 8, understands why she decided to continue with remote learning, but believes the government wouldn’t allow schools to re-open if it wasn’t safe.

50 years on from amalgamation

When 12 municipalities in the Red River Valley officially amalgamated on Jan. 1, 1972, Unicity was legally born – and the City of Winnipeg embarked on one of the most ambitious and unique experiments in metropolitan government reform ever conceived in North America.

Nearly doubling the city’s population, and extending its boundaries far to the west, south, and east in particular, amalgamation was intended to enable greater citizen participation, collect taxes more equitably and deliver services and more efficiently.

Fifty years on, the city continues to struggle with these challenges.

In recent budget updates, the city has presented conflicting messages. First, it promised to keep services affordable by limiting the total budget increase to 1.2 per cent. A week later, chief financial officer Catherine Kloepfer said “we did estimate some impact of COVID-19 on the budget, but not to this extent.”

Animal charities overwhelmed by donations

Local animal welfare groups are thanking Manitobans for being their friends.

The Betty White Challenge, a social media movement encouraging people to donate $5 to animal welfare groups on what would have been the TV star’s 100th birthday, brought in a record-breaking number of donations for non-profits organizations.

White, known for her work on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Golden Girls and Hot in Cleveland, was a lifelong supporter of animal charities. She died on Dec. 31, 2021, just weeks shy of her 100th birthday on Jan. 17, which was designated as Betty White Challenge day by people on Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms.

It was “unreal” to see the donations come in, said Winnipeg Humane Society CEO Jessica Miller.

Underpass lit up with new public art display

Unidentified flying objects didn’t crash land near the Waverley Street underpass, although it might look like they did.

Outcroppings, a new installation by Toronto-based artist Jyhling Lee, was inspired by Manitoba’s geological history and the massive amounts of earth that were moved to create the southwest Winnipeg underpass and active transportation path.

It also reflects on ancient glacial Lake Agassiz — which once covered Winnipeg — and fossils found in local Tyndall Stone.

“The landscape of this region has always been special to me,” Lee said.

Sharing is caring at Fort Garry toy library

A Fort Garry library is prolonging the life of toys while reducing waste and teaching children valuable lessons.

Ian Scott and his wife are the founders and co-ordinators of the Red River Toy Library. Located in the basement of the Fort Garry United Church at 800 Point Rd., the library lends donated toys to families, free of charge.

After visiting a Saskatoon toy library in 2019 — friends of theirs were volunteers — the couple was “inspired by the concept.”

“There’s so many great things about a toy library in terms of waste reduction, cost savings and access to bigger items so families don’t have those things cluttering their homes,” Scott said

Proposed River Heights condo gives pause

A proposed condominium development in River Heights has been met with community opposition.

A rezoning application to allow a condo at 514 Wellington Cres. — the site of the former Gordon House, which was demolished nearly a year ago — was presented at the Jan. 11 city centre community committee.

The proposed multi-family development would be four storeys high and include eight condo units of about 3,100-square-feet in size (totalling 24,065-square feet) with 17 indoor parking stalls and three drive-in entrances.

The former structure at the site was about 8,000-square-feet. Over 5,000 people signed an online petition to save the home.

Stitching together a community

A South Osborne business owner has decided to create a community she felt the city was lacking.

Katherine Magne, owner of Winnipeg Sews, started offering sewing classes out of community centres and libraries before moving on to rent her own dedicated space at South Osborne Xchange (421 Mulvey Ave.).

“This started as trying to get home sewers to expand their skills, so we offer everything from beginner to coats and everything in between,” Magne said.

Magne envisioned the business after she grew frustrated with the online sewing community, particularly on Instagram and YouTube. She said a lot of people who attend her classes are crafters who also rejected these spaces.

River Heights artist bedazzles with new show

A River Heights artist is returning to cre8ery gallery and studio for her fourth solo exhibition this month.

Bhavni Bhakoo, a Winnipeg-based multimedia artist, was recovering from shoulder surgery on her dominant arm and unable to paint when she became inspired by the landscapes at her lake home in Hnausa, Man.

“Once I bounced back, I wasn’t allowed to paint yet, but I started sketching and that’s when my ideas developed,” Bhakoo said.

“This has been the most unique show I’ve put together because it caught me by surprise. I was incapable of painting and spending most of my time in Northern Manitoba, so I started doing photography because I couldn’t believe the beauty of the scenery.”

Coun. Janice Lukes sets priorities for 2022

A new year brings a renewed agenda from area city councillors, and Coun. Janice Lukes (Waverley West) is prepared for the long haul.

Lukes said 2021 was an amazing year for her ward, with new multi-family and commercial developments occurring along Pembina Highway, University Crescent and in Bridgwater and Prairie Pointe.

Lukes also assisted with securing $90 million in federal, provincial and city funding for a new recreation campus which will operate in partnership with Waverley Heights and Silverstone community centres.

The campus will be in the new Bison Run community and will boast a daycare centre, running track, indoor basketball courts, cricket batting cage, pickleball courts, meeting rooms and a spray pad.

Chambers makes plans for 2022

Coun. Markus Chambers has lofty goals for the St. Norbert- Seine River ward.

Despite the uncertainty, Chambers said there have been new opportunities brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s a matter of listening to the citizens of Winnipeg to establish priorities and work towards them,” Chambers said. “We need to continue with the momentum created from our economic recovery plans to ensure we’re meeting the objectives of Winnipeggers while making sure those most vulnerable in our city are taken care of.

“Winnipeg is a vibrant city with a lot of great minds, so it’s a matter of listening and working towards the objectives that will make our city even better than it is.”

NSI program helps participants flesh out film concepts

A River Heights resident is writing a limited drama thriller series as part of a program through the National Screen Institute –Canada’s series incubator program.

“I’ve always been writing, as is the background for most writers,” Jessica Landry, 35, said.

“I started writing prose, mainly short fiction, and mostly did horror because that’s my favourite genre. Over the past few years, I’ve segued into screenwriting.”

The NSI series incubator is an eight-month, four-phase program for producer and writer teams from under-represented communities.

Athlete ready to play ball with U of M

A Vincent Massey Collegiate varsity girls’ basketball player has committed to the University of Manitoba Bisons for the 2022-2023 season.

Grade 12 student Ayva Khan “grew up in the gym” with her father, who has been a basketball coach since she was a child.

“Initially, when I was a little kid starting to see what I wanted to do, I wasn’t interested in basketball,” Khan said. “But then I tried it, and I ended up enjoying it the most out of everything I had tried.”

Khan is an all-around athlete who has thrown discus and javelin for Team Manitoba and has also played volleyball.

Southwest Winnipeg’s 2021 sports in review

At the beginning of 2021, organized sports in Manitoba were on hold due to COVID-19 pandemic and public health measures.

Southwest Winnipeg teams started the year with high expectations, but the season was eventually cancelled. In time, organized sports returned, and individual athletes were thrilled to return to the court, rink or field.

Wolves to howl in Winnipeg AAA baseball

In January, the Winnipeg South Minor Baseball association announced its new name for its AAA teams: the Winnipeg South Wolves.

Southwest Winnipeg’s 2021 year in review

As 2021 comes to a close, we look back on the year that was in stories from across southwest Winnipeg.

January: ‘Picture life without restaurants’ campaign hits home

With COVID-19 public health measures impacting in-person dining across the province, local restaurant owners encouraged Winnipeggers to support local through a national campaign.

Scot McTaggart, owner of Fusion Grill at 550 Academy Rd., asked people to support restaurants hit hard by the pandemic by ordering food for takeout or delivery.

Christmas tree shortage not out of the woods

A decades-long Christmas tradition returned to River Heights this holiday season, and it was met with more demand than ever before.

The 67th Winnipeg Scout Group is holding its annual Christmas tree sale at the Corydon Community Centre’s River Heights site (1370 Grosvenor Ave.) until Dec. 22.

Surrounded by dozens of balsam firs, white pines, spruce trees and handmade wreaths, group commissioner Doug Strang said they sold more trees earlier in the season than previous years.

“We sold probably close to half of our season’s stock in one day, and from then we had to close to get more in,” he told The Sou’wester.

Fort Richmond home bringing holiday cheer

A Fort Richmond home is bringing holiday cheer to the community with an elaborate light display.

Darlene Smith and her husband go above and beyond each year to make their outdoor Christmas decor “bigger and better” than the previous season.

The front yard of their home, located at 7 Selwyn Pl., features 17 inflatables, 23 blow molds and one Christmas tree.

“We started with just a couple inflatables because they were bright and cheery, and then we added a few more until it got to be a treasure hunt of what we could find,” Smith said. “It just kept growing and growing.”

Community centre ice time harder to come by

A front yard hockey rink is stopping traffic on a River Heights street.

Sara Epp and her husband, Jonathan, are one of three families volunteering their front yard on Harvard Ave. for the DIY project, which has been a winter fixture in the community for the past four years.

The family moved to River Heights in 2018 and was “all over” the idea of hosting the homemade rink each year.

“The neighbourhood’s getting more used to it, so they just kind of come by now,” Epp said. “I’ve started introducing myself as living at the three-house ice rink. Everybody seems to kind of know now.”

Crescentwood artist makes debut at Cre8ery

A Crescentwood artist is making his debut at cre8ery gallery and studio this month.

Gary Potter describes himself as an “eccentric freestyle abstract artist.” Connextions, Potter’s first exhibit, features surreal and imaginary images on canvas and other mixed media, including wood and glass.

“The whole idea is for people to look at the paintings and make some connection between reality and the corporeal world,” Potter told The Sou’wester.

“I don’t think enough people actually look at abstract art and think about what they’re looking at, they just walk past it.”

Women’s centre busier since pandemic began

The Fort Garry Women’s Resource Centre has been supporting women and children since 1983.

The not-for-profit, feminist organization — located at 1150-A Waverley St. — provides free supports and services, including counselling, workshops, informational referrals and practical supports.

“Counselling is offered to women up to a year on a weekly or biweekly if they’re needing it,” public education and communications co-ordinator Colleen King told The Sou’wester.

“Counsellors will work with women on whatever issues they’re needing to discuss, like self-esteem, separation and divorce, domestic violence and trauma.”

Resident highlights importance of green spaces

A St. Vital resident is spearheading a biodiversity checklist in the hopes of solidifying Wildwood as a multi-use green space within the City of Winnipeg.

The project, which will take place for a few years, focuses on the areas in and around the Wildewood Golf Course, Winnipeg Lawn Tennis Club and Wildwood Park Community Centre.

Organizer Rick Wishart is encouraging residents to post photos of wildlife, insects and plants to his new “Friends of Wildewood” Facebook group.

“The City of Winnipeg is looking at options for green space because it’s costly from a tax perspective to maintain them,” retired biologist and Green Action Centre board member Wishart told The Sou’wester.

Animal rescue puts pause on holiday adoptions

A Winnipeg small animal rescue has put a hold on adoptions during the holiday season.

Until Jan. 3, 2022, Popcorns and Binkies Rescue Haven — a home-based rescue focusing on rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters and other small animals — will not be processing adoption requests.

This also means the organization’s foster’s homes will be full for the holiday season and it will have no space for new intakes.

Cindy Hildebrand, Popcorns and Binkies founder and director, said the non-profit rescue has been implementing the adoption freeze for several years — but it’s not a trend you often see other shelters following.

‘Neighbours helping neighbours’

Mrs. Claus and her elves are busy preparing for the holidays in a Fort Richmond home.

After being diagnosed with terminal cancer four years ago, Jaime Webster decided to stop treatment and "live life to the fullest."

“It started with a bucket list and the sentence, ‘Save a neighbourhood,’” Webster told The Sou’wester.  “I had no idea how to do that, and then suddenly South Winnipeg Assists Santa existed. We didn’t save an entire neighbourhood, but we saved part of it.”

South Winnipeg Assists Santa, a community-run initiative aiming to keep the holiday spirit alive, is in its second year of creating Christmas hampers for families struggling to celebrate the season.

Community centre soccer at risk of being cut

The Whyte Ridge Community Centre is at risk of losing its children’s soccer programming due to a lack of volunteers.

President Kimberley O’Hara told The Sou’wester the centre’s mini soccer program is down to two volunteers from its previous 12, not including coaches.

“Two volunteers just can’t sustain the amount of work,” she said. “The soccer program used to have many volunteers but, over time, we’ve lost quite a few because of COVID and the fact we didn’t have soccer for two years.”

Whyte Ridge Community Centre now has until February to secure about five or six new volunteers.

Dressing to impress

A Fort Garry organization is helping women become job ready — one blazer and pantsuit at a time.

Dress for Success, which is based out of the South Winnipeg Family Information Centre at 800 Point Rd., provides women in need with work attire so they can secure meaningful employment.

After a one-on-one consultation with a volunteer clothing stylist, clients are free to shop for a capsule wardrobe, which may include blazers, skirts and blouses ranging from sizes 0 to 4X.

Melissa Alexander, Dress for Success coordinator, said the organization works with approximately 60 different agencies across the city, but they also receive self-referrals.

Pembina Trails renames Ryerson School

Pembina Trails School Division has renamed a south Winnipeg elementary school.

The division’s board of trustees decided to review Ryerson School’s name this past summer following the discovery of unmarked graves at former residential school sites across the country.

The division also received letters of support from Ryerson School students.

“As news of the Kamloops unmarked graves became known across Canada and the board received letters from students, it became quite clear we could not ignore it, and we didn’t want to ignore it either,” Pembina Trails School Division superintendent Ted Fransen told The Sou’wester.

Annual museum holiday display de-lights

An annual holiday display with a twist has returned to the Manitoba Electrical Museum.

All That Glows: Then & Now features holiday lighting from the 1800s to present day and explores how Christmas decorations have been revolutionized since the introduction of electricity.

All That Glows has been running for almost a decade and is the museum’s best attended event. Pam McKenzie, museum administrator, said the exhibit explains the history of the type of tree and decorations.

“It takes a week to set everything up,” she told The Sou’wester. “We start on a Monday morning and work all day just to set up the trees and big stuff, then I work with volunteers throughout the week on decorating and fine-tuning.”

Manitoba farm benefits from pumpkin donation

A River Heights resident is encouraging Winnipeggers to be more sustainable with their holiday decor.

Shortly after Halloween, Kaelah Marcoux began collecting pumpkins to donate to Kismet Creek Farm, an animal sanctuary located near Steinbach, Man., that rescues farm animals from neglect, abuse and potential slaughter.

“I love when younger people take initiative and do something that’s for the community,” Marcoux told The Sou’wester. “It’s helping your neighbours, but also paying it forward in terms of the animals.

“It’s been a rough year because of COVID and the drought. Hay prices have also tripled, so it’s harder for farmers to afford to feed their animals.”

Shaftesbury volleyball squad serve resiliency

After a year-long break from the court, the Shaftesbury High School Titans set their sights on a triumphant return.

“They’re resilient. A lot of the time we’re going into the fifth set because we get knocked down early but manage to come back throughout the game,” head coach Daniel Gussakovsky told The Sou’wester before the team’s final game regular-season game on Nov. 18.

“When things are tough, they manage to step up. I think that’s one our strengths that’s unique to this team.”

The AAAA boys’ varsity volleyball team finished the season with a 21-25, 22-25, 21-25 win over the Portage Collegiate Trojans, securing the third place in Tier 2 of the West Winnipeg Athletic Conference.

App aims to make downtown parking easier

A locally created app is connecting Winnipeg drivers with downtown parking spots.

GrydPark, a parking pilot app launched by Winnipeg property management technology company Gryd, offers hourly, daily and monthly parking at 20 to 30 per cent less than neighbouring lots — and with no contracts.

“We wanted to do something that would impact the environment and help the community in some way,” Gryd managing director and Tuxedo resident Josh Glow told The Sou’wester.

“We found the parking industry is extremely inefficient, and nobody’s talking about solutions to fix it.”

New murals brighten ministry, family centre

Fort Garry United Church isn’t your usual Ministry.

The congregation, located at 800 Point Rd., recently installed a large mural on the front of the building.

The painting, done by local Métis artist Robin Love, features two hands making a heart around a medicine wheel adorned with feathers overtop of a rainbow background.

“We hang red dresses, we put out orange ribbons ... we try to help people understand who we are a little bit by what they see on the outside of the building,” former board chair Dianne Cooper told The Sou’wester.

FRC student wins national scholarship

A recent Fort Richmond Collegiate graduate has been awarded a prestigious scholarship from Ducks Unlimited Canada for her commitment to conservation.

Joyce Ji won one of three $1,000 Wetland Centre of Excellence Scholarships, which is given to a high school graduate from a Ducks Unlimited-recognized Wetland Centre of Excellence school. All three winners are planning on pursuing post-secondary studies in conservation.

“I was really hoping to get it but I wasn’t super confident because I felt, with the age range, I wouldn’t have as much experience, knowledge or as much to contribute as the older kids, but it turned out OK,” Ji said.

“When I found out, I immediately started texting my parents being like, ‘I got it!’”

Fort Garry legion relocating after nearly 75 years

Royal Canadian Legion Fort Garry No. 90 is moving to a new location and is hoping to attract a younger crowd in the process.

The Fort Garry branch has called 1125 Pembina Hwy. “home” since 1947 but, after nearly 75 years, the Legion is moving to a former pizza restaurant at 762 Pembina.

Branch treasurer Garry Reid told The Sou’wester the original building — built by members in 1947 — has suffered from break-ins, water damage and needed roof, water main and air conditioner repairs.

Bills were piling up, and the Legion was faced with the difficult decision of selling, amalgamating with another branch or relocating.

South Winnipeg vehicle collisions on the rise

Eight of Winnipeg’s 10 most dangerous intersections are in the south end of the city, according to figures released by Manitoba Public Insurance.

From 2016 to 2020, the intersection of Kenaston Boulevard and McGillivray Boulevard saw a total of 1,217 collisions, MPI reports.

Other notable intersections and the number of recorded accidents include:

• Kenaston Boulevard and Sterling Lyon Parkway, 919;

Trojans win ANAVETS Bowl

Vincent Massey Collegiate has won its third Division One high school title in six years.

Head coach Kelsey McKay, who led the Trojans to victory in 2016 and again in 2018, said this year’s team was “hungry” and “missed the game.”

“I think we just ended up with the right group of young men who were resilient over the last year and a half,” McKay told The Sou’wester. “The leadership was there because they wanted to be there. They appreciated every moment, and every week were able to practice and play in a game.

“They didn’t take it for granted because we all knew it could be taken away from us in a second. We lived in the moment this year and appreciated and respected each other.”

South Winnipeg vehicle collisions on the rise

Eight of Winnipeg’s 10 most dangerous intersections are in the south end of the city, according to figures released by Manitoba Public Insurance.

From 2016 to 2020, the intersection of Kenaston Boulevard and McGillivray Boulevard saw a total of 1,217 collisions, MPI reports.

Other notable intersections and the number of recorded accidents include:

• Kenaston Boulevard and Sterling Lyon Parkway, 919;

Residential school survivor pleas for postcards

Vivian Ketchum grasps messages of love in a hand that was damaged with hate.

Ketchum, a second-generation residential school survivor, had her hand smashed with a shoe by a teacher after she failed to attend a dentist appointment, causing her finger to break and become permanently misshapen.

“I shut down to protect myself. I didn’t feel anything,” Ketchum, who attended Cecilia Jeffrey residential school in Kenora, Ont., said.

Shortly after Canada observed the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Ketchum went on the radio to put out a call for postcards in the hope of continuing the conversation.

Eyeglasses business hopes to bridge divide

A local eyewear business is aiming to offer a more inclusive online shopping experience.

Kathy Tran-Riese, founder of the low nose bridge sunglasses line KayTran Eyewear Ltd., started the company in 2012 after the idea came to her while studying business in London, Ont.

For many people of Asian descent with wide faces, high cheekbones and low nose bridges, most Western eyeglasses brands tend to not be wide enough, causing uncomfortable pressure at the temples. They are also more likely to slip down a lower nose bridge because the nosepiece isn’t thick enough.

It’s a difficulty Tran-Riese knows well.

Ultimate frisbee getting back into gear

The Manitoba Organization of Disc Sports is hoping to secure more ultimate frisbee players.

The Winnipeg Youth Ultimate League will be housed out of the Lindenwoods Community Centre, with a number of other programs in south Winnipeg.

Corey Draper, director of operations for the Manitoba Organization of Disc Sports, began playing the sport in 1997 after he “fell in love with it as a spectator.”

“I started playing when I was in my mid-20s,” Draper told The Sou’wester. “Unlike a lot of sports, it’s a sport you can get better at later in life.”

Art show explores domestic violence

A North Kildonan resident is breaking the silence on domestic violence.

Zita Somakoko, a domestic violence survivor and advocate against gender-based violence, hosted the first Breaking the Silence on Domestic Violence community forum in 2018.

“The event was born in the heat of tragedy,” Somakoko told The Sou’wester. “I was watching the news in 2015 and a woman was killed, gunned down, by her ex-husband.

“I lost it. I started wailing. I just couldn’t believe we are still dealing with this and it’s normal, just a split second on the news. Picture and then gone.”

New mural celebrates Winnipeg Olympian

A mural honouring Olympian and rising taekwondo star Skylar Park has been installed in south Winnipeg.

“It feels crazy, and it’s kind of weird to see my face up there, but I think it’s incredible and I’m super thankful to everyone whose been involved in making this happen,” Park told The Sou’wester.

The mural was installed on the side of the TRP Academy, Tae Ryong Park, at 95 Scurfield Blvd.

The taekwondo academy belongs to the Park family and is where the 22-year-old has trained since childhood, she said at the unveiling ceremony on Nov. 6.

Festival celebrates Jewish culture and identity

Orit Shimoni didn’t anticipate settling down in Winnipeg during a global pandemic.

“I was here for two shows and everything shut down,” Shimoni told The Sou’wester. “I wasn’t living anywhere, I don’t drive, the trains got cancelled and I thought, ‘It might be better for my brain and spirit to be in a place that’s new to me.’

“I feel like it’s another adventure, whereas I think if I went to Montreal, Toronto, Calgary or Europe I would have felt it more, instead of seeing it as a chance to explore a new reality for what it had to offer instead of what’s missing in it.”

 The singer/songwriter was touring internationally and independently before COVID-19 hit. Now Shimoni is preparing for her Nov. 17 show as part of the Tarbut: Festival of Jewish Culture, which runs from Nov. 13 to 20 at Rady Jewish Community Centre. The week-long celebration of Jewish culture will feature musicians, speakers, films and authors.

Remembrance Day service a ‘community effort’

A monument in the St. Norbert cemetery that for years stood unknown to most residents inspired a decades-long, community-run celebration.

In 2008, Art Bloomfield, a longtime St. Norbert resident, was walking his grandson to school when he took a closer look at an overgrown cenotaph in the cemetery. The monument was a forgotten homage to 13 men who fought and died in the First World War and were connected to the St. Norbert community.

Soon after, Bloomfield and his wife, Wendy, made it their mission to ensure the cenotaph and fallen men were honoured each year on Remembrance Day.

“We were just going to do it as a family, but we ended up having about 50 people show up the first year,” Bloomfield told The Sou’wester.

Varsity volleyball returns after nearly two years

After nearly two years off the court, the St. Norbert Celtics varsity girls volleyball team is raring to go.

The 2021-22 season started at the beginning of Oct. and saw the Celtics getting back into the swing of things as they went up against the St. John’s Ravenscourt Eagles, with a score of 25-9, 25-23, 25-14.

“It’s exciting, getting back into it. We didn’t have anything for a while,” left-side hitter Morgan Lippens told The Sou’wester.

“It’s also allowing us to have more opportunity in school and have some school spirit,” libero Kailey D’Souza added.

Puppet slam ‘rated PG-13,’ says curator

The Winnipeg Puppet Slam, an annual showcase dedicated to puppets and puppeteers, will be hosting its first in-person performance since the COVID-19 pandemic moved the event online.

“The thing that’s different about a puppet slam is it’s meant to be by grown-ups for grown-ups,” Curtis Wiebe, local puppeteer and curator of the slam, told The Sou’Wester.

“When it was started, it was thought that puppets have a stigma as being mostly for kids, but adults can play, too.”

However, this doesn’t mean the subject matter is too inappropriate, Wiebe added.

Wheelchair basketball takes Fort Rouge court

An art project is highlighting the rules of wheelchair basketball and inviting the public to play.

Let’s Play Wheelchair Basketball is a new sign that was installed at the Mayfair Recreation Centre outdoor basketball court in October.

The sign was created by the team who brought Allez Hop, a glow-in-the-dark wheelchair basketball court, to Nuit Blanche in 2019.

Local artists Thea Pedersen and Sasha Amaya teamed up with Manitoba Wheelchair Sports Association (MWSA) two years ago through the Winnipeg Arts Council’s Youth WITH ART Community Public Art Program, which pairs organizations with artists of various forms.

Comedy showcase returns to The Park Theatre

The Winnipeg Comedy Showcase is returning to the newly renovated Park Theatre after a year-long hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 27th show will be held Oct. 30 at 8 p.m. , featuring local comedians Andy Noble, Tyler Penner, Kristen Einarson, Karlee Liljegren, Emmanuel Lomuro and Rajat Bhateja.

Jared Story, comedian and host of the Winnipeg Comedy Showcase, told The Sou’wester the city’s comedy scene has “flourished” in the last six or seven years.

“There’s been a lot more regular nights and more chances to get on stage and get good,” Story said. “You can have all the funny ideas but until you try them out on stage, they’re just thoughts.

Businesses, residents participate in Socktober

As the cold weather approaches, residents and businesses have spent the month of October collecting socks for Main Street Project.

The Socktober campaign, now in its fourth year in Winnipeg, aims to collect 20,000 pairs of new socks to keep feet dry and warm. People experiencing homelessness are at a higher risk of developing serious feet health issues including infections, ulcers, ingrown toenails and nerve damage due to diabetes, according to Main Street Project.

Corinne Danard, a resident of Lord Roberts, said she may not have money to donate to charities but does have time to help out.

Danard placed a bin on her front doorstep and has been posting in community groups asking for donations.

Winnipeg-based dog safety gear first of its kind

A Fort Richmond resident’s love for his dog spurred his highly successful business venture.

Gordon Templeton, owner and founder of Optimus Gear, started looking for pet safety products shortly after getting his first dog, Nala.

“I was riding in the car with her and went, ‘This isn’t a great idea.’ If I crash or slam on the breaks, she’ll jolt forward,” Templeton told The Sou’wester.

“I care about her and don’t want her to get hurt, and if she’s behind me and flies forward then she’ll also end up hurting me in the process.”

Riverview brings back annual fall supper

The Riverview Community Centre is welcoming back its annual fall supper after a year-long hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We could have done something in 2020, like a drive-thru, but we chose not to because we couldn’t come together,” River Community Centre president Jason Oliver told The Sou’wester.

“A lot of effort goes into putting together the meal and a big part of it is coming together as a community. It’s more than just a dinner.”

The Riverview Community Centre has been hosting its annual fall supper since 2019. Now in its fourth year, organizers — and the community — are thrilled for its return.

Community centre rink needs volunteer support

The Whyte Ridge Community Centre has issued a call for community members to help with repairing the centre’s east hockey rink.

Kim O’Hara, president of the Whyte Ridge Community Centre, told The Sou’wester the centre’s two rinks are utilized for recreational skating and by various hockey teams for practice, but are no longer safe for the community to use.

“I think, especially during COVID, the rinks have been a safe space for youth who have been impacted by not having indoor sports,” O’Hara said. “It’s been better this year, but last year it was a place for kids to socialize in a manner that allowed for social distancing.”

Over the past few years, the rinks, located at 170 Fleetwood Rd., have fallen into disrepair through general wear and tear. The centre received land dedication funding through the city, spearheaded by Coun. Janice Lukes (Waverley West Ward), and were able to hire a company to repair the gates.

Plaza celebrating diverse languages unveiled

On a crisp, fall afternoon, song, dance and a medley of dialects echoed through the air as a monument celebrating language and culture was unveiled at Kirkbridge Park.

On Oct. 12, organizers officially cut the ribbon on the International Mother Language Plaza, a gathering place and sculpture installation in the Richmond West neighbourhood.

The Plaza was initiated by Manitoba Bangladesh Bhaban Corp. two years ago and acknowledges the struggles many groups face when trying to preserve their mother language.

The plaza features a traditional Indigenous medicine wheel and replica of the Shaheed Minar monument — also known as the Matyr monument — in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Documentary brings forth tough conversations

A new documentary is shedding light on death — and what it truly means to live.

Filmmaker Randy Guest teamed up with local organization Palliative Care Manitoba to create On Living and End of Life. The short film was created through the Winnipeg Arts Council’s WITH ART Community Public Art Program, which pairs organizations and artists of various forms.

“The documentary is about the services Palliative Care Manitoba offers but also the variable they deal with, such as grieving and how people handle end of life,” Guest told The Sou’wester.

It’s a sensitive topic Guest hadn’t considered exploring before Palliative Care Manitoba asked him to take part in the project.

U of M student wins prestigious art competition

A fine arts graduate has been selected as Manitoba’s regional winner of the 19th annual BMO 1st Art! Competition

Tayler Buss, a former University of Manitoba student, received a cash prize of $7,500 for her sculpture Rearview.

“It touched on themes on sentimentality, the notion of always trying to move forward and that cliché of driving into a sunset at the end of a movie,” Buss told The Sou’wester.

“I had a rearview mirror that was at the front of the piece as a reminder you’re always moving forward, while keeping view of the past and memories behind you.”

Vincent Massey Trojans back on the field

After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Vincent Massey Collegiate Trojans football team is thrilled to finally be back on the field.

“We’ve had a long break, but our coach has done a great job of making sure we were still doing things,” Odin Peterson, Trojans offensive lineman, told The Sou’wester. “We were out on the field in the summer and, when we’ve been allowed, in the weight room, so I think a lot of the guys are ready — physically and mentally — and are just excited to go and get playing.”

Shippan and Peterson played junior varsity together in Grade 10. Peterson said the team did “pretty good” and was “middle of the pack.”

Now that they’re in their senior year and have finally dusted off their helmets, they hope the Trojans will win the Winnipeg High School Football League ANAVETS Bowl and take the season.

Spook-tacular display entertains neighbourhood

It doesn’t take a steep price tag to have the scariest Halloween spectacle on the block.

Julie Ferguson and her partner, Tyler Woroniuk, call their Halloween display a “St. Norbert effort.”

The couple made the most of the items included in the spooky scene outside their south Winnipeg home from things they already had around the house.

They didn’t want to break the bank, Ferguson said, so a lot of the decorations came from the dollar store or are hand-me-downs from family and neighbours, including the fencing and giant pumpkin that’s been in her family for years.

Author tackles tough subjects in new book

River Heights author Rowan McCandless’s eldest daughter issued her a challenge to make use of her creativity.

“I wanted to be a good role model for my daughters, so that’s when I started writing,” McCandless said. “I had no idea when I wrote that first short story it would lead to having a book published. It seemed the universe was telling me, ‘You’re a writer, so write.’”

Since that initial challenge, McCandless has become an award-winning author of fiction and creative non-fiction. She was longlisted for the Journey Prize and won the Constance Rooke Creative Non-Fiction Prize. She also received gold for One of a Kind Storytelling at the National Magazine Awards.

Persephone’s Children, McCandless’s first novel, is about domestic abuse and the power of writing to help with leaving an abusive relationship.

Anna Leventhal named new writer-in-residence

A former River Heights resident is the Winnipeg Public Library’s new writer-in-residence for 2021-2022.

Anna Leventhal moved back to Winnipeg to take on the role after living and writing in Montreal. Her first collection of short stories, Sweet Affliction, published in 2014, won the Quebec Writers’ Federation Concordia University First Book Prize, and was named one of the best books of the year by CBC Books.

Leventhal’s work has been nominated for the Journey Prize, won second place in the Quebec Writing Competition and was shortlisted for a Canada Writes prize. She has also appeared in Geist, Matrix, Maisonneuve, The Puritan, the Toronto Star, the Montreal Review of Books, and several short fiction anthologies.

“This is a really incredible opportunity for me,” Leventhal told The Sou’wester.

New neighbourhood emerging in southwest

A new neighbourhood is being developed in southwest Winnipeg.

The community, called Bison Run, will be wedged between Bridgwater Forest, Bridgwater Centre, South Pointe and near the University of Manitoba campus.

“It’s expected to be a 20- to 25-year build, but I expect it will happen sooner,” said Coun. Janice Lukes (Waverley West).

“They thought all of the Bridgwaters would be the same, but it happened in 15 years or less.”

Fort Garry mourns loss of iconic restaurant

Kristen Reimer met her first love at the Pancake House on Pembina Highway.

“It’s kind of funny, but it’s true,” the Fort Garry resident said. “We never did end up getting married — we were only 21 and it didn’t work out — but I did meet my first love there.”

Reimer worked as a waitress and front-of-house supervisor at the Pancake House’s flagship location at 1049 Pembina Hwy. 40 years ago.

“It was kind of a neighbourhood thing,” she told The Sou’wester. “My brother’s friends worked there, and I formed a good bond with two other girls. I think people make friendships there.”

New children’s book educates on mindful breathing

A River Heights nursery teacher didn’t expect a 20-minute class project would evolve into a children’s book.

Karla Dueck Thiessen partnered with Indigenous educators Gloria Baker (Riverbend Community School), Lorraine George (Isaac Brock School) and the River East Church to print 1000 copies of the mindful breathing book, It Starts With A Breath..., in English and Indigenous languages.

Thiessen, an educator at Queenston School in River Heights, introduced mindful breathing into her teachings after noticing children were carrying more stress and anxiety.

To address this problem, she made a PowerPoint presentation with photos and a poem to present at a school assembly.

Canada observes National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Sept. 30 marks the first annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Brenda Gunn, academic and research director at the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, said having a national holiday to recognize the history and legacy of residential schools was included in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s calls to action.

“The significance is really that now we have a day to reflect on the harm inflicted by colonialism and residential schools,” Gunn told The Sou’wester. “Hopefully, with this day set aside, we can honour the children who survived residential schools, as well as those who did not return.”

Sept. 30 has previously been known as Orange Shirt Day for several years. The movement was started by Phyllis (Jack) Webstad, who told her story of her first day at residential school when her new orange shirt, bought by her grandmother, was taken from her as a six-year-old girl.

Crescentwood resident surveys elm trees

A Crescentwood resident spent four days surveying the neighbourhood Elm trees for disease.

Dominique Levin was inspired by other Winnipeggers mapping the trajectory of Dutch elm disease in their neighbourhoods, including Earl Grey and Garden City.

“I thought it would be interesting because I’ve lived in the area my whole life and in front of my parents’ house there were multiple trees taken down in the past two years,” Levin said.

New trees were planted to replace the old ones, but Levin noticed it seemed to be a common occurrence in the area.

Duguid nabs Winnipeg South for a third time

Liberal incumbent Terry Duguid has grabbed his third straight federal-election win in Winnipeg South on Sept. 20.

“I learned people were pretty happy with my service to the community,” Duguid told The Sou’wester two days after his win was announced. “We delivered a $90-million recreation campus that will be going up in Waverley West, and we’ve been there to support the university with up-to-date infrastructure and funding for research.

“I also learned people were concerned with having a Conservative government in Ottawa and here in Manitoba.”

Duguid was greeted by an ecstatic crowd at Nicolino’s Restaurant after the results poured in and he was declared winner.

Carr retains seat in Winnipeg South Centre

Liberal incumbent Jim Carr has won his third straight election in Winnipeg South Centre.

“It all builds up to that magic moment when you hear the results,” Carr told The Sou’wester two days after his victory in the Sept. 20 federal election.

The six-way race included Conservative candidate Joyce Bateman, who previously represented the riding from 2011 to 2015. She earned 27.8 per cent of the vote, while NDP candidate Julia Riddell followed with 20.6 per cent.

Douglas Hemmerling of the Green Party received 2.9 per cent of the vote and PPC candidate Chase Wells finished with 2.8 per cent.

River Heights dancer receives scholarship

A River Heights resident’s passion for Irish dancing has won her a scholarship.

Ripley Havens, 17, was awarded the 2021 Mark and Dorothy Danzker Scholarship of Excellence, an annual award for ethno-cultural heritage preservation. The scholarship honours the memory of philanthropist and former Winnipeg city councillor Mark Danzker and his wife, Dorothy.

The $1,000 award is granted to eight students aged 17 to 25 pursuing post-secondary studies. Winners are selected based on volunteer work in a cultural activity within the community, GPA and a demonstrated passion for preserving cultural heritage, either through volunteer work or employment.

Havens discovered her love for Irish dance at only two years old. She tried soccer, skating and acting as a child but nothing came close to the passion she had for dance.

Hub connects seniors to community resources

Martin Landy has been trying to make the lives of south Winnipeg seniors easier throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last winter, Landy, a resource coordinator with the South Winnipeg Seniors Resource Council, handed out 12 iPads to seniors as part of a social isolation and digital literacy project.

“We taught them how to use the iPad as best we could under COVID guidelines,” Landy said. “At the end of the six months, we saw what a difference it made in their lives.”

Landy plans on continuing the funded project this year. It will run from Oct. 1 to March 31, 2022.

Pizza joint is the place to be

A popular pizza joint is making a comeback after a 15-year decline.

Pizza Place, which was a well-known staple on the local pizza scene in the 1970s and ’80s but which now has only two locations - on Portage Avenue and in Winnipeg Beach - is now slinging its classic pies from the Fort Rouge Curling Club.

The new Pizza Place outlet is a family-run business.

Stephen Logan, Pizza Place franchiser, has been helping his daughter, Kerri-Lynne, getting the restaurant up and running.

Proposed changes to pet bylaw is ‘for the birds’

Proposed changes to the city’s pet ownership bylaw have ruffled the feathers of Winnipeg bird enthusiasts.

On Aug. 10, the City of Winnipeg’s public engagement branch published a Responsible Pet Ownership By-Law review that includes changes to bird, reptile, amphibian and fish ownership in Winnipeg.

The city is proposing a cap a five birds per household, prohibiting the breeding of exotics and creating a list of “allowable animals.”

If given the green light by council, the bylaw amendment would mean only cockatiels and budgies could be owned in Winnipeg as early as January 2022. All other common parrots, like parrotlets, lovebirds, conures, caiques, quakers, amazons, cockatoos, African greys and macaws, would be illegal to own and rehome.

Duguid takes Winnipeg South a third time

Liberal incumbent Terry Duguid was re-elected as MP for Winnipeg South in the Sept. 20 federal election.

At deadline, Duguid was well ahead with 12,520 votes, more than 3,700 more than his nearest challenger, Conservative candidate Melanie Maher.

Duguid's margin of victory looked to be greater than in 2019, when he Maher by just 1,645 votes. At deadline, Duguid had garnered 46.6 per cent of the vote in the riding while Maher sat at 32.8 per cent.

NDP candidate Aiden Kahanovitch was in third place with 4,119 votes, while People's Party of Canada candidate Byron Gryba was fourth with 971 votes and Green Party candidate Greg Boettcher had tallied 427.

Plan in the works to honour residential school survivors

It wasn’t until her own daughter turned 10 that Mabel Horton began reflecting on her childhood.

While her daughter celebrated her first decade of life with presents, cake and loved ones by her side, Horton’s 10th birthday was spent in Canada’s residential school system.

“I wasn’t abused, but I still left home and was away from my family,” Horton said. “My brother and sister were here, but I wasn’t allowed to see them, except on Sundays.”

As a former student, Horton joined the Assiniboia Residential School Legacy Group. The team of seven is in the process of planning a commemorative marker for the school’s grounds. It will include the original school sign, a meeting circle and panel installation featuring the students’ communities referenced by traditional name.

Winnipeg South riding profile

WINNIPEG SOUTH

Incumbent:Terry Duguid (Lib.)

Number of eligible voters:69,437 (preliminary)

2021 candidates:Greg Boettcher (GPC) Terry Duguid (Lib.)Byron Gryba (PPC)Aiden Kahanovitch (NDP) Melanie Maher (CPC)

Local student wins Folklorama scholarship

A Bridgwater student has been awarded a prestigious Folklorama scholarship.

Emily Katsman, 17, is one of eight Winnipeg students to be awarded this year’s Mark and Dorothy Danzker Scholarship of Excellence, an annual award for ethno-cultural heritage preservation. The scholarship honours the memory of philanthropist and former Winnipeg city councillor Mark Danzker and his wife, Dorothy.

The $1,000 award is granted to students aged 17 to 25 pursuing post-secondary studies. Winners are selected based on volunteer work in a cultural activity within the community, GPA and a demonstrated passion for preserving cultural heritage, either through volunteer work or employment.

Katsman immigrated to Winnipeg from Jerusalem, Israel with her family at the age of two. She has served as a Youth Ambassador for Folklorama’s Israel pavilion in 2019.

Wildlife cameras installed in south Winnipeg forests

A research project through the University of Manitoba’s department of landscape architecture is offering a hidden glimpse into the lives of south Winnipeg’s wildlife.

Wild Winnipeg, a two-year wildlife monitoring project, aims to document the interactions between people and animals in urban and suburban woodlands.

It’s a part of a larger research project called Looking at people, Looking at animals, which examines the relationship people have with wildlife and how it impacts the way we design urban outdoor spaces.

“We’re looking at how animals are using space and how people are reacting to them,” Wild Winnipeg lead researcher and assistant professor at the University of Manitoba Kamni Gill said.

Fort Garry laces up for marathon’s return

The Fort Garry Rotary Club’s half marathon and 5k fun run is returning after a year-long hiatus.

The ninth annual event takes place on Sun., Sept. 19 and aims to promote healthy living while raising funds for the Knowles Centre and the Bruce Oake Recovery Centre.

The Knowles Centre is a community-based, non-profit charitable organization for children, adolescents and young adults. The Centre’s six programs provide a range of therapeutic skills-based services.

The Bruce Oake Recovery Centre is a non-profit residential treatment program offering long term live-in and community-based services to individuals seeking recovery from drug and alcohol addiction.

Kahanovitch running in Winnipeg South

Aiden Kahanovitch is the New Democratic Party of Canada’s candidate for Winnipeg South in the Sept. 20 federal election.

“This is really just an opportunity for me to move forward in terms of what I can do to advocate for better LGBT rights and improvements for the local community,” Kahanovitch, 36, said. “I love supporting community-based organizations and this is one way to do that.”

Kahanovitch’s political background is limited. His background is in human resources, particularly within the disability and health sector, so this is his first formal foray into politics.

He worked at St.Amant for nine years and was previously HR manager for the Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority. While this is his first time running for public office, he was on the Pride Winnipeg board where he interacted with municipal, provincial and federal groups. He attended conferences for the federal LGBTQ2 secretariat and was also involved with the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ.

55-plus group finds new home

After years of searching, Pembina Active Living 55-plus has finally found a location to call its own.

The group will be moving into the Whyte Ridge Community Centre, located at 170 Fleetwood Rd., in the coming months after extensive renovations are completed on the space.

“As as a senior, it gives you something to do,” Bob Newman, 74, said.

Newman has been involved with Pembina Active Living since its inception and is the current vice-president. He said his favourite part of the organization is the sense of camaraderie he has with other members.

Hemmerling wants riding to go Green

Douglas Hemmerling is the Green Party of Canada’s candidate for Winnipeg South Centre in the Sept. 20 federal election.

The climate emergency inspired the Manitoba teacher and father of five to put his name on the ballot.

“The time is now,” Hemmerling said. “We’re kind of in that one election cycle where we really need to bring the importance of climate change to the forefront.”

Hemmerling is involved in other groups related to climate issues, but hopes running in the election — and potentially securing the Winnipeg South Centre seat — will inspire other Canadians to take the concern more seriously.

Riddell running for NDP in Winnipeg South Centre

Julia Riddell hopes to win Winnipeg South Centre for the New Democratic Party of Canada on Sept. 20.

The mental health advocate, clinical psychologist, professor and environmentalist hasn’t been too heavily involved in politics, but felt compelled to put her name on the ballot this time around.

“I want to make sure everyone’s needs are met,” Riddell, 32, said. “I advocate for patients and Indigenous communities, so running for federal office as an MP is another way to serve the community, advocate for better mental health care, (and) reconciliation.”

Riddell has been drawn to community activism from a young age, and joined local organizations focusing on the environment and social justice issues while earning her degree in neuroscience with a minor in peace studies from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont.

MHC art gallery reopens with new exhibit

River Heights artist Karen Cornelius spent the better part of the last two years drawing the hydrangeas in her backyard.

“As a visual artist, everything just disappeared when COVID hit,” Cornelius said. “My exhibitions got cancelled, I’ve had a couple residencies get cancelled... I have a grant to go to Bali but can’t go. It’s killing me.”

Cornelius is a printmaker specializing in electro-etching, which is etching done with electricity and water on copper plates. She uses a low voltage, so it’s not as dangerous as it may sound.

Cornelius uses positive and negative plates. The positive yields a traditional etching while the negative produces a more graphic and out-of-focus image.

Duguid running for re-election in Winnipeg South

Incumbent Liberal MP Terry Duguid is hoping to continue representing the Winnipeg South riding.

“The stakes are so high; they’re high for our health-care system, for our education system and for climate change,” Duguid, who hopes to be re-elected on Sept. 20, said.

Duguid has worked for Liberal party “giants” such as Lloyd Axworthy, and is a two-term city councillor. He was elected in 2015 and re-elected in 2019.

The enviroment is both a “passion and vocation” for Duguid, who holds a bachelor of science (honours) from Carleton Universiy and a master’s in environmental science from the University of Calgary.

Maher strives to secure Winnipeg South

Melanie Maher said it’s not the perfect time to hold an election but she’s been enjoying learning what’s important to her constituents.

Maher, who is the Conservative candidate in the Winnipeg South riding in the upcoming federal election, has been interested in politics her entire life. After moving from Saskatchewan to Winnipeg in 2008, she volunteered for several federal, provincial and civic elections. She ran for the Conservative Party nomination in 2019 and was successful in becoming the candidate but narrowly lost the riding.

“I’m pleased to have this opprtunity again,” Maher told The Sou’wester. “I really care about our community and the future of our country.”

Prior to moving to Manitoba, Maher worked as a certified educational assistant. She fell in love with the political side of things after her move to Winnipeg.

Bateman hopes to land Winnipeg South Centre

Conservative candidate Joyce Bateman is hoping to claim the Winnipeg South Centre riding in the upcoming election.

“I believe the only reason to get involved in public service is to make people’s lives better, and I really don’t think this government is doing that,” Bateman said. “That’s why I’m running and that’s why I’m driven to do so.”

Bateman noted sexual assault in the military, climate change and affordable housing as three of her top prioties if elected.

“Greenhouse gas emissions were at 747 million tonnes in January 2006. The Conservative goverment managed to drop that to 723 million tonnes by 2015,” Bateman said. “It was going in the right direction but under the Liberal government it has actually increased.”

Carr wants to continue work in riding

It’s the most “exciting time of all” for the incumbent MP in Winnipeg South Centre.

Jim Carr, who was first elected to Parliament in 2015 when the Liberals formed a majority government, is running for re-election in the Winnipeg South Centre riding.

“There’s still so much more work to do on climate change, becoming partners with Indigenous communities and providing affordable housing,” Carr, who has lived in the riding his entire life, said.

Carr first ran for public office in 1986 in the Tuxedo riding. He improved the Liberal vote but didn’t win the seat. He ran again in 1988 and won the provincial riding of Fort Rouge. He became deputy leader of the opposition and won re-election in 1990 in the reconstituted riding of Crescentwood.

Village welcomes new Middle Eastern eatery

Bassma Zahran’s children are always asking her to write recipes books for them.

Instead, she opened a restaurant.

Zahran, along with her business partners and friends Huthaifa Alomari and Mohammed Watan welcomed diners to their new Osborne Village cafe, Zaytoon, on Aug. 14.

Zaytoon is a Middle Eastern restaurant that incorporates traditional flavours presented in a modern way. All ingredients and merchandise is sourced locally from Winnipeg businesses.

Winnipeg South—Riding Profile

A federal election was called on Aug. 15 and, after a 35-day campaign, Canadians will go to the polls on Mon., Sept. 20.

The boundaries of the Winnipeg South riding includes residents in the southernmost parts of the City of Winnipeg.

Here is the Winnipeg South riding profile:

Incumbent:Terry Duguid (Lib.)

Winnipeg South Centre—Riding Profile

A federal election was called on Aug. 15 and, after a 35-day campaign, Canadians will go to the polls on Mon., Sept. 20.

The boundaries of the Winnipeg South Centre riding include residents in Tuxedo, Linden Woods, Sir John Franklin, River Heights, Osborne Village, Crescentwood, Earl Grey, Rockwood, Grant Park, Riverview, Lord Roberts, Beaumont, Wildwood, Fort Garry, Maybank and the western half of the Pembina strip.

Here is the Winnipeg South Centre riding profile:

Incumbent:Jim Carr (Lib.)Number of eligible voters:71,760 (preliminary)

Community centre gives back to residents

Sandeep Singh is helping the Whyte Ridge community grow.

Singh, director of fundraising for the Whyte Ridge Community Centre, hand-delivered 129 plants to residents this month.

“We thought it was a nice gesture to give back,” Singh said. “Times have been tough, and we wanted to put smiles on peoples’ faces.”

Residents were grateful and surprised, Singh said. The plants were collected from Jensen Nursery and Garden Centre and Ron Paul Garden Centre.

Business climbing to new heights

Olympic sport climbing has created a buzz, and a Linden Woods boulder climbing facility is reaping the benefits.

The Hive Climbing and Fitness Centre, located at Unit 7, 960 Lorimer Blvd., is a 12,000-square-foot space designed for climbers of all ages.

Bouldering, for those not familiar with the term, is a style of rock climbing focused on strength, technique and problem-solving.

It’s entirely ropeless; athletes scale walls at different angles and fall onto 15-inch foam mats. The Hive rotates its sections every five weeks so frequent climbers can have new routes to tackle.

Hockey rink on the brink

Nearly 50 years have gone by since his skates first hit the ice, but Jeff Van Norman still calls the River Heights arena “home.”

“All my friends and I did was go there to skate or play sponge hockey,” Van Norman, 54, said. “Those were the best memories -hanging out with your buddies and playing at the rink.”

Van Norman started playing hockey at the River Heights arena, located at the Corydon Community Centre’s River Heights site on Grosvenor Avenue, when he was only six years old. His father was his team’s coach, and he skated at the club until he was 10.

The legacy continued when Van Norman’s son started playing on the same ice. In the winter months, Van Norman returns to the rink weekly to skate with other River Heights residents.

New health practice first of its kind in Winnipeg

A new health practice aims to revitalize pharmaceutical practice in Manitoba.

Simplicity Wellness, Tim Smith and Josée-Anne Le Dorze’s new business, is a health coaching and chronic disease management practice run by licensed pharmacists. The couple has more than a decade of experience each in pharmacy.

“What makes our practice different from most pharmacists is that we are focused strictly on the consultation and coaching aspect,” Smith said.

Smith and Le Dorze — who live in St. Vital — are the first pharmacists in Manitoba to achieve this specific classification of practice license. There’s a trend in health care towards more lifestyle and coaching-based approaches, Smith said, so they pair a holistic approach with their professional skills and experiences.

Winnipeg Studio Theatre artistic director bids adieu

The curtains are closing one last time for Winnipeg Studio Theatre artistic director Kayla Gordon, who is leaving the company after 16 years.

Gordon started with the Winnipeg Studio Theatre in 2006. She produces and directs the theatre’s professional productions. Prior to that, she was with Winnipeg Jewish Theatre for 11 years.

“At the time, I wanted to produce and direct more avant garde, cutting-edge theatre,” Gordon said. “A lot of the regional theatres weren’t hiring many female directors yet.”

It was a boy’s club, Gordon said. Her passion was directing theatre and, once she broke into the business, there were only two female directors in Winnipeg.

Local coach heads to world championships

Whyte Ridge resident Andy Tough coaches some of Canada’s top track and field athletes, but sometimes still struggles to keep up with his 11-year-old daughter, Nina.

“Her ultimate goal is to be in the Olympics,” Tough said. “She wants me to coach for another 25 years so she can have a father-daughter duo on the team.”

Tough was recently named the endurance coach for Team Canada at the world athletics U20 championships, also known as the world junior championships.

The track-and-field competition begins Aug. 17 and will run until Aug. 22 in Nairobi, Kenya. It will feature up to 1,300 competitors from 128 countries.

Winnipeg Humane Society nearly at capacity

A “perfect storm” has caused the Winnipeg Humane Society to temporarily pause intakes.

Animal shelters across the city are operating at almost full capacity due to northern wildfires, kitten season, summer weather and the pandemic.

“We made the very difficult decision to put a hold on intakes with the exception of sick and injured animals,” Jessica Miller, Winnipeg Humane Society’s chief executive officer, said. “We are down to very few kennels in the back now.”

The shelter follows a “capacity for care” model, which means they try to take the right animal at the right time and find it the best live outcome.

Community gardens drying up

Barbara Ediger and Rod Kueneman have been praying for rain.

Ediger, the president of Sustainable South Osborne Community Co-op, has a plot at Riverview’s community gardens.

“Back when I first started we would plant, water until they were established and then leave it up to mother nature,” Ediger said. “There were dry times, but nothing like this.”

Kueneman is the past president of Sustainable South Osborne Community Co-op. He said that even if gardeners water rigorously, the plots are not as vibrant as they were in previous years.

Igniting a love for summer learning

Chelsea Allen says her favourite part of being a teacher with summer learning program Ignite3 is watching her students experience new things.

“One of the best days was when we gave them ice cream sundaes,” she said. “So many of them were like, ‘I’ve only ever seen ice cream sundaes on TV.’”

Allen, a Grade 5 and 6 teacher at Ryerson Elementary School, oversees the school’s summer enrichment program, Ignite3. She has been involved with the day camp for the past four years.

Ignite3 is organized by the Pembina Trails School Division for students in kindergarten to Grade 6. It takes place five days a week for the first six weeks of summer holidays. This year, there is a morning and an afternoon program.

Cyclists raising money to fight childhood cancer

Sheena Buckner plans to cycle 700 kilometres during the month of August.

Buckner, 70, is taking part in the Great Cycle Challenge Canada. Participants set personal ride targets while raising funds for the SickKids Foundation to fight childhood cancer.

“I had to do something,” Buckner said. “If this makes me get out, ride my bike and raise money for these kids, then all the better.

“It’s making me healthier and it’s making them healthier.”

Butterflies thriving in River Heights backyard

A River Heights gardener describes her backyard as a “butterfly diner.”

“We’re a quick stop for them to rest and eat before they keep going,” MaryAnn Oprea said.

Oprea’s garden is part of the Monarch Waystation Registry, a map of certified monarch butterfly habitats across Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.

Oprea started building her garden last year while spending more time at home during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Local scholarship winner headed for Toronto

A former River Heights resident has been awarded a prestigious scholarship.Dasha Ewhrudjakpor was “shocked” to learn she had been selected as a 2021 Henkel Diversity Scholarship Program winner.

“I was not expecting it at all,” Ewhrudjakpor told The Sou’wester over email.

“I had to re-read it to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. I immediately called my mom to tell her the good news.

“I was so happy and it felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders.”

Cup not even close to empty at new coffee shop

It wasn’t until he travelled aross the world that Marc Tallman realized he didn’t like most of the coffee being sold in local cafés.

“I loved the atmosphere, but I hated the coffee,” he told The Sou’wester.

Tallman decided he would open his own coffee shop with roasts that would appeal to a wider audience — something he felt was lacking in the market.

That dream became a reality this year when Empty Cup Collective welcomed customers to its Panet Rd. location on April 1.

New food delivery service added to the menu

Kayla Major never envisioned herself owning her own business at 21 years old.

“It just feels like I’m doing something good for the city and community,” the co-owner of food delivery service Chokecherry Kitchen said.

Chokecherry Kitchen is Winnipeg’s newest meal subscription service. Major and her mother, Tamara Dmyterko, founded the company in the hopes of offering healthy and nutritious foods at a lower cost than what you would find on Skip the Dishes or DoorDash.

Operating from a ghost kitchen with no front-of-house or dining room allows them to keep prices down. They are currently cooking out of Kitchen Sync on Donald St., but hope to have their own permanent location eventually.

Riverview resident issues warning to pet owners

A relaxing walk through the neighbourhood took a startling turn when Janet Lyon-Anderson’s dog, Gus, began behaving oddly.

Lyon-Anderson and her two-year-old schnauzer/bichon frise mix were on their way to a friend’s house in the Riverview area when Gus accidentally ate cannabis he found on the ground.

“He threw up what was probably the entire contents of his stomach,” Lyon-Anderson said. “He raced around for two minutes and then passed out for about an hour.”

When she left to walk home, Gus’ head was “cocked sideways” and he was “wobbling.” If Lyon-Anderson tried to pet him, he would flinch.

Brewery tapping into new market

Scott Tackaberry knew Friday the 13th was the perfect day to launch his new brew.“I looked at my calendar and ‘Ding!’ That’s it,” Tackaberry said. “I just knew it had to be that day.”

Tackaberry is the owner and brewmaster of the new craft beer business Dastardly Villain Brewing Company. The pre-prohibition, steampunk villain-themed beer and brewery will be the first of its kind in Winnipeg. It’ll draw inspiration from villains of all genres — movies, television and beyond — while featuring beers that also share these sinister and devious themes.

Unlike the popular micro breweries scattered across the city, Dastardly will be a ‘nano brewery,’ which means a smaller-scale operation with more specialty beers and a frequently rotating tap selection.

“I already own the building, so I’m designing the brewery to fit it,” Tackaberry said. “We’re in a great residential area with walk-up traffic, so with a small brewery we’ll be able to brew two, three, maybe four times a week.”

BDI fundraises for residential school survivors

An iconic Winnipeg ice cream shop is slinging orange-dipped cones to raise money for residential school survivors.

The Bridge Drive-In, known to Winnipeggers as simply BDI, unveiled the initiative this month. One dollar from every cone sold will be donated to the Indian Residential School Survivors Society, an organization that provides essential services to residential school survivors, their families and those dealing with intergenerational traumas.

The idea came to Lexi Greechan, inventory supervisor at BDI, on Canada Day. The vigils and protests held across the country in the wake of unmarked graves being found at residential school sites made her reflect on Indigenous issues.

“My best friend is Indigenous and his father was a ’60s Scoop kid,” Greechan said. “I take it personally because I see the struggles his family has gone through. I just wanted to show my support for the community.”

University student holds electronic waste drive

A University of Victoria student is giving back to the community in the hopes of securing a scholarship.

Cas Kupfer, an MBA student scholarship participant, recently partnered with the Electronic Recycling Association to give the community an opportunity to drop off unwanted electronics to be refurbished and donated to Winnipeg charities.

Kupfer says the ERA scholarship competition — now in its second year — was the “perfect fit” given their degree is in sustainable innovation.

“Sure, it benefits me if I win the scholarship, but it also benefits the planet and charities,” Kupfer said.

Fabric ‘snobs’ open new shop in Oak Bluff

Work-from-home orders and travel bans may be going out of style, but crafting and DIY projects? Not at all.

Just ask the team at local fabric business The Fabric Snob.

“We’ve had a few people start sewing before COVID, get laid off and sign up for our online classes,” Brianne Davison,  Fabric Snob manager, said. “People have definitely branched out their hobbies. They want to learn to be creative.”

Lindsey Dueck, owner of The Fabric Snob, founded the Manitoba-based business in 2014 after noticing a lack of custom-made fabric in Canada.

Winnipeg TikTok star featured in Sephora ad campaign

Michelle Chubb, 23, still remembers how shocked she was when she opened her email to find a message from beauty brand Sephora inviting her to model for the company.

“I was taken aback. I had to re-read it,” Chubb said. “I didn’t hesitate to say yes.”

The Swampy Cree woman lives in the St. Norbert neighbourhood of Winnipeg. She is a member of Bunibonibee Cree Nation, also known as Oxford House, Man., but grew up in Cross Lake. She spent her childhood learning about her heritage from her grandfather and attending cultural ceremonies with her family.

Sephora announced its all-Indigenous ad campaign last month, which aims to “amplify the voices of Indigenous Peoples in Canada while paying homage to their knowledge, wisdom, diverse strengths and teachings,” according to the company’s news release.