A new knee, and so much more

St. Vital

The summer has not been a normal one. Smoke was an issue for a long time and still impacts some parts of the province. But my biggest issue currently is I had knee replacement surgery on Aug. 18. I was warned by multiple friends and medical personnel that the knee surgery presents a challenging rehab. No one exaggerated!

I am sure everyone’s experience is unique. In my case, the knee does not bend enough so the physio focuses on correcting that. The exercises to help the new knee become more flexible are painful. But I say to myself every day that it will be worth it. Short-term pain for long-term gain.

Everyone out there dealing with the challenges of any form of rehabilitation, my thoughts are with you. Hang in there!

The St. Vital Museum held its annual open house and barbeque on Aug. 16. What a wonderful event! This year, the Manitoba Métis Federation Music Van was on site and definitely added to the ambience and enjoyment of our visitors. There were a lot of tapping toes as people enjoyed their meal and then visited the museum.

This is a day during the year when the museum shines. Besides the catchy music, there were games, museum tours, and a lot of pictures taken. The siren on the 1939 firetruck had a lot of use that day! This was our largest crowd ever, approaching 200 visitors, and the weather was perfect. The stories being told and the historical information being shared by our volunteers and visitors alike were a lot of fun to listen to.

This has become my favourite day at the museum. Old friends drop by and new friends are made. I am unsure how often this happens at local events, but all six MLAs from this part of south Winnipeg were in attendance: Hon. Jamie Moses, Hon. Renee Cable, Hon. Mike Moyes, Billie Cross, Robert Loiselle, and Tyler Blashko along with Coun. Brian Mayes. They are all “friends of the museum” and it was wonderful to have them show their support.

So much work goes into these events and an organizer always wonders who is going to show up. When so many do, the effort is so worth it. As I looked out at our vibrant parking lot that day, it was hard not to feel a sense of pride and gratitude!

The museum would like to thank everyone who attended and to the 25 volunteers who helped make the event so special. My dear friend, Sharon Golin, gets a special thank you. She is a director of the museum and coordinated a top-quality raffle that generated much needed revenue. We are self-funded and every donation, new or renewed membership, and every calendar pre-order helps. Calendars will be available by Nov. 1.