An East edition look back on 2023

East Winnipeg

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This article was published 27/12/2023 (866 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

2023 was a historic year for Manitoba. Things were interesting on a community level, as well. Many local staples and organizations celebrated important milestones; businesses, both new and old, created change in their surrounding areas; ordinary people took on large, meaningful projects; and community committees endorsed a variety of helpful plans that encouraged affordable housing, accessible transportation, and community wellness.

Here are just some of the stories that made headlines over the course of the year:

January: Bell appointed to Order of Canada

North Kildonan’s Steve Bell was among 99 Canadians appointed to the Order of Canada this year.

The award-winning Christian singer-songwriter was recognized for his contributions to Canadian music and his advocacy of social and community news.

“I’ve been really blessed to be surrounded with people with companion virtues,” Bell said. “My wife believes in them, my manager and staff believe in them. They work hard so that I can do what I do. It’s because of who they are.”

Bell was joined by fellow Manitobans Bernard Joseph Bocquel, Maria Emma Chaput, and Patricia Margaret Ningewance, who were all appointed as members of the order.

Centre Flavie showcases its unique boutique

St. Boniface-based Centre Flavie showcased its new fundraising initiative called Boutique Unique in January.

The non-profit organization provides essential household goods and supplies to many families in need in an organized, dignified environment.

Certain items don’t necessarily fall into the household goods and supplies category, so they are separated from general circulation and sold at a monthly online auction. These include antiques and collectibles, as well as retro and vintage items. All profits from the auctions are used to support Flavie’s work.

“This makes such a difference to our bottom line. We’re in a new building and our operational costs are higher. This will help support our operations, which will help the community,” the centre’s board chair, Julie Turenne-Maynard, said.

February: Glenlawn Collegiate announces 100th anniversary plans

In February, three key figures in Glenlawn Collegiate’s history talked about the St. Vital-based high school’s upcoming 100th anniversary celebration reunion — Wayne Ruff, a former Glenlawn teacher and principal; Irene Nordheim, another former teacher and principal; and Arpena Babaian, a former teacher and vice-principal.

The centennial was marked by a number of events, that were held across the Victoria Day long weekend in May, which included a celebration of the arts through the years featuring alumni and current students, an open house showcasing ‘decade rooms’ created by current students, a wine and cocktail gathering, a social, and an ecumenical church service.

“There was something about the place — the students, the staff, the whole community. It was like a magnet. It was interesting to see the landscape transition from a rural to a more urban setting, and when the board changed the boundaries, it meant more kids came to Glenlawn,” Ruff said.

March: RETLife introduces drone pilot course

On March 4, six participants in a basic drone pilot accreditation course at Emerson School in North Kildonan received their pilot certificates from Transport Canada. The students, including a reporter, spent two Saturdays studying air law, meteorology, and other basic aeronautical concepts in preparation for a 90-minute exam.

The two-day course was put on by RETLife (the continuing education arm of the River East Transcona School Division) and DecisionWorks Consulting.

“This type of programming is needed for the future due to the possibilities that it provides,” Naomi Kruse, program co-ordinator for RETLife, said. “I feel it has an exciting future in the division and in our programming lineup and I’m really looking forward to seeing how it takes off.”

Tétrault keeps on running for the cause

Rob Tétrault, the president and founder of CMV Canada, was a mover and a shaker in the spring.

In March, the St. Boniface resident — a portfolio manager at CG Wealth — spoke about his goal of running 24 half-marathons across the province, in a campaign called Run with Rob.

His intention was to raise awareness about cytomegalovirus (CMV), a condition his son was born with in 2008. The quest also represented a personal challenge for Tétrault, who has changed his lifestyle and been working hard on his fitness, having taken up running in the last couple of years.

“I ran cross-country in high school, but then hadn’t ran for 15 years,” Tétrault, who now also competes in iron man competitions, said. “I train a lot now because I love it so much. I work out seven days a week, and that includes swimming and biking, too. This is the best that I’ve felt in my life, and it’s been a life-altering change.”

River trail enjoyed by over 210,000

On Jan. 1, the first section of the Nestaweya River Trail opened at the Forks Historic Port. The trail connected paths on the Red and Assiniboine River and featured artistic warming huts from local and international designers, artists, and architects. Parts of the pathway remained open until March 13, allowing for more than 70 days of use by skaters, joggers, cross-country skiers and more. According to The Forks, over 210,000 people made use of it over the course of the season.

April: MBCI students return to stage

From April 26 to 29, the Mennonite Brethren Collegiate Institute school community came together to celebrate a return of students to the stage, when the school put on its production of Shrek the Musical.

“I’m told that about two-thirds of the student body are involved in some capacity, whether that’s on stage, in the (orchestra) pit, building sets, painting sets, costumes, makeup, sound and lighting,” said Kelly Reimer, drama teacher and director. “So it’s a massive undertaking for our school.”

The event marked the first time the school had run its popular spring drama production since 2019, owing to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and precautions.

Badmos recognized by the Loran Scholarship Foundation

In the spring, Grade 12 Windsor Park Collegiate student Ridhwanlai Badmos was announced as one of two students from a Manitoba school to be recognized by the Loran Scholarship Foundation.

The teen founded Wake-Up Mental Health — a non-profit organization that offers workshops in support of mental well-being. He also co-chaired the southeast Winnipeg-based school’s student council, and was the founder of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion council. He enjoys taking part in volleyball, basketball, badminton and track, and he also volunteered in the community.

“One of the main reasons I applied was that I heard there was a community every step of the way,” Badmos said at the time. “During every step of the process, I felt like I was meeting new people, and at the finals in Toronto, I was able to meet 89 other leaders. We talked about things that we’ve done and that we want to do.”

At the time of writing, the 18-year-old Sage Creek resident was considering offers from the University of British Columbia and the University of Toronto.

The other Manitoban recipient was Cadena Brazeau from Keeseekoowenin First Nation, a Strathclair Community School student (Strathclair, Man.).

May: Birds Hill United Church becomes affirming ministry

On May 7, the Birds Hill United Church (2105 Burton Ave.) was officially recognized as an affirming church.

The designation, which was officially presented by Affirm United’s Rev. Ken Delisle, comes after the church leadership and congregation have spent over a year reflecting and learning about completing an educational program and issuing a statement of faith and action welcoming “people of of all sexual orientations and gender identities into every aspect of their life and work.”

The push for the church to adopt the affirming principles came from within, with a committee of active members of the small church spearheading the process. At the time, Birds Hill United became only the 300th from more than 2,000 United churches in Canada to earn the recognition.

June: Transcona church taking big steps to go green

On June 27, Transcona Memorial United Church got a big boost in its efforts to become more environmentally sustainable from the federal government, when Elmwood-Transcona MP Daniel Blaikie was on hand to announce $480,000 in federal funding by way of the Green and Inclusive Buildings program for the church’s community services hub.

The project — which is also receiving support from the city, province, and the United Church of Canada’s Faithful Footprints program for a total of $609,543 in outside funding — will see TMUC swap out its old gas furnace for both a series of heat pumps and a 98-per-cent efficient gas furnace; replace all lighting with LED lights; improve or add insulation to older parts of the church. Additionally, a 25 kilowatt solar panel array was installed on the church’s steep, south-facing roof during the summer months.

“When the sun is shining, it’s just blazing down on that roof,” said Stephen McKendry-Smith, TMUC’s environmental co-ordinator. “We’ll be capturing the energy and lowering our costs and reducing the burden on our energy network. We’ll be reducing our energy consumption by about 80 per cent and reducing our greenhouse gas emissions by over 33 tonnes per year.”

Pure gold at one end of the Elm Park bridge

Visitors to the Kingston Crescent end of the Elm Park bridge were sure of a big surprise earlier this year.

That’s the site of the dancing golden bear, a tree-art sculpture that was unveiled — along with several narrative plaques and an honorary street naming — by the Kingston Crescent Residents’ Association and its partners to acknowledge and commemorate the unique history of the area.

According to a plaque in front of the sculpture, it symbolizes looking up and listening to the trees. Dancing golden bear was conceived by Kevin Kelly, and chainsaw carver Fred Thomas executed the piece.

“I designed and came up with the idea and I hired Fred to do it,” Kelly said. “Fred was really good, and he did a wonderful job.”

Kelly, a recently retired professor who worked at the University of Manitoba’s school of art, said the inspiration for the design came — in part — from his time working as a tree planter in northern Manitoba, where he saw his fair share of bears.

July: CN commits $200K to CN 2747 project

On July 14, CN committed $200,000 over the next four years to the Transcona Museum’s capital campaign to raise over $600,000 to fund a permanent enclosure for the historic CN 2747 engine, located at 735 Kildare Ave. West.

“We’re so excited CN is on board, preserving CN 2747. To have them support our project has been fantastic,” said Alanna Horedja, museum curator and CN 2747 committee co-chair. “We’re hopeful, now that people can see CN’s on board, we may get some more contributions.”

CN 2747 was the first locomotive built entirely in Western Canada, at the Transcona Shops, in 1926. It was retired from service and donated to the community in 1960. The Transcona Museum took ownership of the engine from the Winnipeg Railway Museum in 2017. Work to keep the engine in good shape has been ongoing, and the museum launched a capital campaign for a permanent structure to protect it from the elements in 2021.

Le Musée de Saint-Boniface showcases StoryShifters exhibit

This summer, a new exhibit encompassing themes of reconciliation and resilience opened at Le Musée de Saint-Boniface, which ran until Sept. 30.

The show, called StoryShifters, featured the work of six storytellers — Cheryl N Bird, Patricia Caribou, Pauline Hince, Chris Larsen, Linda Manitowabi, and Victoria McIntosh — and was the culmination of a four-year project which gives a collective voice to the compelling stories of the six First Nations and Métis women behind it.

Through the process of storytelling, sharing Indigenous knowledge, and creating art together, the group hoped to evoke hope and understanding. The artists said that, by sharing these stories with others, they hoped to bring meaning, a sense of belonging and connection, not only to their lives, but those of their families and communities.

One of the artists, Chris Larsen, said the women met at a workshop about decolonization and reconciliation several years ago, and have continued to meet and keep in touch.

“I met all these fantastic women who have been through a lot of traumas and came out the other end,” said Larsen, a Métis artist and art therapist. “What made them strong? Did art have anything to do with it?”

September: Funding for free cemetery plots for veterans quietly cut, then reinstated

A program to provide free burial plots for military veterans in city-run cemeteries was quietly cut from the City of Winnipeg’s budget in March. But when longtime veterans’ advocate Peter Martin caught wind of the changes — while trying to help the family of a recently deceased veteran apply to the program — he was not about to lay the matter to rest.

“I was shocked and taken aback,” Martin said in September.

Martin, a longtime member of the Transcona Legion’s executive, began contacting other veterans groups around the city, and the local media. Later in the fall, city council voted to re-instate the program, up to a maximum of $25,000 per year, for the next four years.

Les suites Marion building community in the heart of St. Boniface

At the start of September, an inclusive new community opened in the heart of St. Boniface.

Les suites Marion is a residential building, located at 156 Marion St., that offers a combination of studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom suites. The first leases in the building took effect on Sept. 1.

The building is controlled and operated by Réseau Compassion Network, which has also just moved its offices into the ground floor. The organization has partnered with Peg City Car Co-op to have a vehicle assigned to its parking lot.

“Our goal is not to simply put a roof over people’s heads,” said Bob Lafreniere, Réseau Compassion Network’s chief financial officer and lead project manager, noting the key role played by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation in helping the development become a reality. “When you’re targeting vulnerable populations, you have to consider factors such as affordability.”

According to its website, RCN is responsible for a family of health, social, and human service agencies in Manitoba, and its services focus on five main areas of care: primary, community and mental health care; acute care; long-term care; services to people living with developmental disabilities; and housing and social services. Partner organizations include Accueil Francophone Centre Flavie, Marymound, Sara Riel and St. Amant, to name but a few.

October: NDP wins seats across east Winnipeg, forms new provincial government

An orange wave washed over east Winnipeg on Oct. 3.

While incumbent Progressive Conservative MLAs Ron Schuler and Jeff Wharton were re-elected just outside the perimeter in Springfield-Richot and Red River North, respectively, the rest of east Winnipeg elected New Democratic Party MLAs across the board, as the NDP and party leader Wab Kinew rode a wave of support to a majority government in Manitoba’s 43rd general election.

The NDP MLAs from withing the FP Community Review East coverage area include: Matt Wiebe (Concordia), Jim Maloway (Elmwood), Rachelle Schott (Kildonan-River East), Tyler Blashko (Lagimodière), Jelynn Dela Cruz (Radisson), Mike Moyes (Riel), Tracy Schmidt (Rossmere), Billie Cross (Seine River), Renée Cable (Southdale), Robert Loiselle (St. Boniface), Jamie Moses (St. Vital), and Nello Altomare (Transcona).

On a separate note, three first time MLAs — Dela Cruz, Schott, and Schmidt — are all Miles Macdonell Collegiate alumnae.

November: Winnipeg Y Service Club tree sale returns for 44th year

On Nov. 24, the Winnipeg Y Service Club opened its 44th annual Christmas tree sale at 454 Kimberly Ave.

“The idea of like-minded people coming together to support a cause and give their time, that remains the same,” said Colin McDougall, one of the sale’s organizers. “It’s always been about having fun and giving back.”

According to organizers, the Winnipeg Y Service Club is one of only a few remaining Y Service Clubs in western Canada, and it seems to be bucking a trend that sees service clubs in decline across the board. However, this year’s sale involved many new members, as many long-standing members have recently retired or planned to retire after this year.

All proceeds from this year’s tree sale will go to the Christmas Cheer Board, Harvest Manitoba, CancerCare Manitoba, and a number of educational scholarships and to provide opportunities for youth in need in the community.

St. Boniface a perfect fit for Reclothify

Two years after opening its doors in St. Boniface, Reclothify continues to foster a faithful fashion following.

The premium thrift store, located at 150 Goulet St., first opened its doors in October 2021 when pandemic restrictions were in effect, and recently celebrated its second anniversary in business.

“We realize digging through bins isn’t for everybody, so we found this space,” said Alisha Murray, Reclothify’s co-owner and chief operating officer. Murray, who lives in East Kildonan, co-owns the business with partner Alexander Shagba. “This space has a more curated, boutique feel to it.”

Murray said she’s long had a passion for thrifting, so it’s natural she’d know how to navigate the nuances of her business, which specializes in clothing but also sells shoes, accessories, jewelry, and books. One wall of the store is also adorned by creations by local artists.

“People appreciate how we’ve created things here, how we’ve organized things to make it an easy shopping experience,” Murray said, noting many clothing pieces are organized and displayed by size. “We like to try new things all the time.”

December: Art installation added to median on Henderson Highway

Travellers on Henderson Highway this month will have noticed eight large, painted fibre glass ‘marbles’ along the median of Henderson Highway between Hespeler Avenue and Johnson Avenue. The project is part of Chalmers Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation’s current five-year plan to improve safety and walkability in the area.

“These marbles, they’re meant to create edge-friction, like the feeling of enclosed space, something to make you slow down and take it in,” explained Leilani Esteban Villarba, CNRC’s executive director.

“One of our goals is to lower the speed limit on Henderson here. In this community, there’s a lot of people who walk, who have mobility issues or do not have vehicles and use the bus or use bikes to get around. But it’s not safe, because of the high speed limits and the built environment. We are trying to create a built environment that works for our community.”

CNRC’s partners in ReImagine Elmwood include the Elmwood Community Resource Centre, Local Colours Art Group, Riverwood Church, Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata, Glenelm Neighbourhood Association, the WRENCH and consultants in Urban Systems to bring the project to life. Each group ultimately designed and painted one of the marbles.