Community meaning – in five minutes

St. Boniface

River Heights

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This article was published 19/03/2025 (293 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Imagine public speaking with a twist — you get five minutes to talk with the aid of 20 slides, which rotate every 15 seconds.

Still here? Then the upcoming CMMNTY event at Kilter Brewing on April 14 may be for you.

CMMNTY is the third event of this kind hosted by Andy McKiel and J.J. Ross, who work together as educators during the day. McKiel has been involved in hosting events which draw inspiration from Ignite Talks and Pecha-Kucha, although not directly affiliated — for years, usually organizing them for larger events such as conferences.

It wasn’t until the pair were biking along the Seine River and discovered the cozy Kilter Brewing site at 450 Rue Deschambault that they began to brainstorm ways of creating standalone speaking events.

“It’s an opportunity to bring people together,” McKiel said, adding that they’ve selected speakers located from all around southern Manitoba, not just Winnipeg, and from a variety of professional backgrounds.

Although there is a loose theme of community at this year’s event, the floor is open to anything people set their minds to.

“You never know what someone is going to talk about,” Ross said. “Just because it’s their background doesn’t mean they’ll talk about that.”

At their second event, a university professor used his five-minute slate to propose to their then-fiancee — which really threw the crowd for a loop, Ross recalled.

“In the 10 people speaking, you’ll find something that resonates with you,” said McKiel, who lives in River Heights.

Some people will be very experienced public speakers, he said, while other will be very nervous but passion for the subject and the way it’s presented can be the deciding factor in how the audience receives a presentation. No matter how a talk goes, he says the events always remain a supportive environment.

“The audience is on your side,” he said.

“I organize a lot of events … some of the best learning that happens is in the hallway or at lunch, the opportunity to just stand next to (someone) and strike up a conversation … the fleeting moments in time, to form a connection with someone you’ve never met.”

The overarching idea is to give participants an experience that, even if it doesn’t resonate in the moment, they’ll have trouble shaking the next day.

“There’s a thirst for it,” Ross said. “Just that idea of getting people out of their own bubbles, coming together with all kids of different people … getting out of their comfort zone, a bit.”

McKiel and Ross will both speak at the April event. Other speakers include Chuck Allen, artist and owner of Earth and Hide, a leather goods shop in Niverville, Man.; Cheryl Zealand, owner of Cranked Energy; and Daniel Hidalgo, director and founder of CommUNITY204, a non-profit with a focus on providing care and resources to marginalized youth in the city, among others.

The event will take place from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 and space is limited. For more information, visit wfp.to/Wlw or @amckiel on Instagram.