Montessori school planned for Grace Church

The R.M. of Headingley council approved a request to use Grace Community Church as a daycare/Montessori School at its Dec. 14 meeting.

The request came from Asma Jafri, who currently runs a daycare out of her home and needs more space.

“Children need other children,” Jafri said. “They want to play with others. They want to talk with others. They love to learn from each other.”

Chay Stratton, the children and community pastor at Grace Community Church, said there’s a need for daycare in the Headingley area.

Helping seniors understand technology

The Portage Learning and Literacy Centre will hold iPhone and smartphone seminars for seniors in January.

“I plan on not so much removing the mystery but removing the fear of pressing the wrong button,” said Holly Asham, a technology literacy teacher at the centre who will lead the seminars.

Asham said the program will focus on basic introductions to phones and computers, with an emphasis on transferable skills that seniors can use to across many platforms.

“These are all separate things,” Asham said. “You know, this is a drill and this is a grinder and this is a screwdriver. We want to connect all of those.”

Movie studio headed to Headingley

The R.M. of Headingley has received  provincial approval of a zoning variance which will allow the Hudson Media Group to construct a movie studio west of Camp Manitou Road.

“It’s quite an interesting project,” said Chris Fulsher, chief administrative officer of the R.M. of Headingley.

The 16-hectare parcel of land has been re-zoned from neighbourhood to business is about 40 acres in size. Fulsher said the studio will consist of three sound stages and production facilities and will use all the latest technology.

Hudson Media Group is owned by Melissa Elias, a Winnipeg-raised actress who has appeared in several Hallmark movies. She did not respond to requests for an interview.

Sensitive Santa setting up shop on Dec. 11

An upcoming community event is set to show that Santa has a sensitive side.

The Manitoba Riding for the Disabled Association will hold a Sensitive Santa event on Sat., Dec. 11 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Royal LePage Top Producers Real Estate, at 1549 St. Mary’s Rd. in St. Vital.

One of the goals of the event is to help ensure individuals of any age enjoy a stress-free visit with Santa and his helpers this holiday season. Kristy McFee, the association’s executive director, said recently that such a trip can be a stressful experience for many people with different abilities for any number of reasons — a trip to the mall can overwhelm the senses, lineups can cause anxiety, and loud noises can turn a magical experience into one to forget.

“As a parent with four kids, including a daughter with autism, I was talking to other parents about how hard the typical waiting-for-Santa experience can be for some people when they’re standing in line, and there are bright lights and lights flashing,” McFee said, noting she is excited about the upcoming event, not least because Santa has had some special training for the occasion.

New look, new titles for Canstar papers in 2022

Your community newspapers are going to look and feel a little different in 2022.

Beginning with the issues of Jan. 5, the six titles published by Canstar Community News will be combined to become two larger community newspapers – the Free Press Community Review East edition and the Free Press Community Review West edition.

The Free Press Community Review, both East and West, will be full of local news, sports and feature articles written by our staff reporters, as well as the community correspondents who write about the issues that matter to their neighbourhoods.

The coverage areas of the two new publications are defined by a line that runs roughly parallel to the path of the Red River.

Acknowledging the great work of Urban Stable

I’ve always felt that strong community organizations are at the core of a happy, connected, and vibrant community. As the MLA for the constituency of Roblin, I’ve had the honour over the years of connecting with so many impactful community organizations.

One such organization is Urban Stable. Its mission is to empower youth to engage in their education and community and achieve personal success through hands-on learning experiences with horses.

Growing up around horses in my home town of Benito, Man., I know how impactful their presence can be.

Recently, one of the pillars in the Urban Stable community announced her retirement from Urban Stable. Wendy MacDonald, co-founder and executive director is retiring after 20 years. I want to say thank you to Wendy for all her hard work over these past two decades. Her dedication to community has positively affected the lives of so many youth— over 700 youth and their families, in fact.

Macdonald Swarm looking to sting the competition

Nearly a month in to their inaugural regular season, the Macdonald Swarm are looking to sting the competition in the Hanover Tache Junior Hockey League and start putting some more wins in the column, just as they did on opening night.“They were anxious to get going, we were a little bit nervous where we’d fit,” said Brad Day, general manager of the Macdonald Swarm, talking about the team’s first game.“We had played one exhibition game and lost in overtime. A lot of these guys hadn’t played in a year or year and a half so they were excited.”“The first game everyone was pretty excited, getting the ball rolling and not knowing what to expect,” said Swarm head coach Darren Wiechern.The Swarm, based out of Sanford, defeated the Lorette Comets by a score of 3-2 in overtime  in that first game.Since then, the team has fallen to 1-4-0 through its first five regular season games and sat last in the six-team league ahead of a Dec. 4 game vs. Lorette. Day said there is plenty of motivation to keep building from defeat.“It was very nice, we played a tough team and every game so far has been close,” Day said.“We’re getting better, stronger and a little more comfortable with each other. We’re a competitive team in this league and our goaltending has been exceptional. Hopefully we have a good back half to the season here.”“We knew Lorette was going to be one of the better teams in the league so it was a good win for us,” Wiechern added. “My biggest takeaway is knowing that we can keep up with all the teams in the league and fine tuning the little aspects to hope they come around come playoffs. Our defensive game needs to be picked up a little bit with regards to breaking out and keeping the control in the offensive zone.”The general manager recognized Wiechern’s concern and said many teams in the league are still finding their feet defensively. “We need to improve our defensive play and that’s no secret amongst all of us,” Day said.“That’s going to be the focus, work more on systems and continue to play hard.”At press time, the Swarm had played four of the five other teams in the HTJHL and had 19 games left in the season. Day said his expectations of the league play have improved.“It’s a very good league, when I looked at this league in the past, guys had told me it’s decent but it’s not great,” Day said. “They said it used to be a league of just thugs, a tough-and-rough league and the quality of hockey has dramatically improved.”The general manager said there’s a lot more skill present on ice every night which has kept the play at a high level and the competition excellent.“It’s been very close, if you look at the first couple of weeks, just about every single game was an overtime game or a one or two goal game,” Day explained.“For us as a new team to be able to hang in that group has been good. We’ve had some injury issues and that’s made it a little more difficult for us as well. We’re in much better condition as a team than we were a month and a half ago. It’s a bit of puck luck here and there, and now it’s a matter of winning.”The general manager said the River East Royal Knights of the Manitoba Major Junior Hockey League recently recruited Brennan Cook, a forward from the Swarm. Day said he is happy to see kids move on to a higher level of junior hockey and is grateful to both the Sanford and Starbuck arenas for giving the Swarm a home rink this season. “After starting a team this late, they’ve been extremely cooperative in accommodating us,” Day said.Day and Wiechern said the Sanford club has gotten a lot of interest from kids in high school and other junior hockey leagues after the season has started. The two are delighted to see the enthusiasm the team has brought to the community and look to expand their contingent base of players. “It’s been very satisfying for me and certainly I see going forward it’s an opportunity for a lot of kids,” Day said.“We have a couple more now, a few guys looking to make a fresh start now close to home,” Wiechern said.“It’s great, it’s all a very close group of guys, they all enjoy playing together and our chemistry is starting to come around and you can see the morale in the dressing room, everyone is there having fun and that’s the main thing to be.”

Nearly a month in to their inaugural regular season, the Macdonald Swarm are looking to sting the competition in the Hanover Tache Junior Hockey League and start putting some more wins in the column, just as they did on opening night.

“They were anxious to get going, we were a little bit nervous where we’d fit,” said Brad Day, general manager of the Macdonald Swarm, talking about the team’s first game.

“We had played one exhibition game and lost in overtime. A lot of these guys hadn’t played in a year or year and a half so they were excited.”

Yuletide Lights delight at Fort la Reine

A Christmas display that will take you back to a simpler time is underway at Fort la Reine as the museum is hosting its first outdoor evening walking tour.“It’s definitely a pleasure to step away from the office every once in a while and co-ordinate a large-scale event, it’s something that I’m really passionate about,” said Madison Connolly, executive director of Fort la Reine Museum. “I just love seeing the smiles on people’s faces and it’s worth putting in all the extra hours setting up lights and decorating.”Running from 6 to 8 p.m. on Dec. 9, 10 and 11, the museum’s Yuletide Lights display will take guests on a walking tour of the grounds and through a few of the heritage buildings on site, including the general store and community favourite Hourie House, each decorated in a Victorian Christmas style. Connolly said the event was an idea she would have liked to have offered last year but could not due to the pandemic. “The idea came out last year when we couldn’t offer our regular yuletide event, which is usually what we do in one afternoon in the second week of December. We’ll have sleigh rides, activities and games and festive programming during the day,” Connolly explained.“I started organizing a yuletide lights event in lieu of our regular holiday event and this was going to be an outdoor walking tour of all the heritage buildings lit up for the holidays, some music and more of a safer choice for people who want to celebrate the holidays.”In partnership with Portage Learning and Literacy Centre, admission is gained by donation this year and complimentary hot chocolate will be served indoors. Attendees 12 and up must show proof of vaccination for the event and the museum is asking the public to not bring their dogs to the outdoor display. Miriam Turyamwijuka, the settlement co-ordinator for PLLC, said the event is a welcome return to Portage after the city stopped its light display years ago. “I think it’s quite exciting, years ago we used to have lights at the island and people would drive around and see the lights and people have really missed it for so many years,” Turyamwijuka told The Headliner.“I’m excited to see some of those lights that we’ve missed. To see this happen, it brings up the spirit and it fills in that blank a little bit.”Turyamwijuka explained that the city used to allow cars to explore the island in Portage for $5 and see the various light displays. The settlement co-ordinator said Connolly’s efforts are giving the museum new life through its seasonal events.“The way the museum runs now is it really encourages the community to get out there and appreciate the history that we have here,” Turyamwijuka said.“When we were setting up the lights inside the buildings for a heritage theme and going through some of the decorations, I thought this reminded me of when I was a kid. You kind of get a little thrill and I think that’s what people get when Madison does these events. This looks like something I got for my grandparents.”Connolly, approaching her fourth year as executive director for the museum, echoed that idea.“It’s also nice to make sure to let people know the museum still exists in the off-season,” Connolly said.“There are still people that are thriving here and wanting to see the museum grow and become more of a staple for community events. I’m really excited to bring a little bit of joy to people this year.”For more information on this year’s event, visit fortlareinemuseum.com

A Christmas display that will take you back to a simpler time is underway at Fort la Reine as the museum is hosting its first outdoor evening walking tour.

“It’s definitely a pleasure to step away from the office every once in a while and co-ordinate a large-scale event, it’s something that I’m really passionate about,” said Madison Connolly, executive director of Fort la Reine Museum. 

“I just love seeing the smiles on people’s faces and it’s worth putting in all the extra hours setting up lights and decorating.”

‘If we can’t mingle, let’s jingle’ in Portage

The festive spirit is in the air down the streets of Portage La Prairie, as several businesses are coming together to spread some holiday cheer via recorded videos and greetings.“We have some really great entertainers in Portage, and we thought it would be a great way for people to show off their talents and send a holiday greeting for the whole community to get involved,” said Megan Romphf, cultural connector for Portage Local Immigration Partnership“It brings joy and a sense of camaraderie over the holiday season in Portage La Prairie.”Romphf and her co-worker Tara Brugger, the community engagement co-ordinator for Portage Community Revitalization Corporation, originally wanted to host a virtual community Christmas concert but the idea was set aside this year based on some logistics issues and time. The two brainstormed some ideas with inspiration from a ‘sign wars’ challenge issued by Styled With Meraki hair salon and Tornado’s Restaurant in the city over the summer. Businesses began promoting others via shoutouts and the idea of ‘If We Can’t Mingle, Let’s Jingle’ took off from there.“That’s how we came on the idea — what if we could challenge other businesses to put out a holiday jingle just to help spread the holiday cheer,” Brugger told The Headliner. “I’m so excited, especially as I know we have a few newer businesses in Portage, as well. I think it’s a great way for some of those newer and smaller businesses to jump on board, as it’s free advertising for them. It also brings our community together. We have some members stuck at home and this is a way they can go out, stay safe and get that holiday cheer.”The idea quickly garnered the interest of Meseyton Construction in Portage, who agreed to be the main sponsor for the event, which wraps up on Dec. 17. The construction company was the first to call out other businesses in the community, including PCRC and E.F. Moon Construction.“It was a fun little event. A couple of coworkers got together and made a fun video to call out a couple of other businesses and it’ll be interesting to see how it takes off over the next couple of weeks,” said Brendan Schaan, human resource generalist for Meseyton Construction.“We have a financial commitment in it as well. We’re looking for as many people as we can to get their names put in before the 17th of December and then we’ll do a live draw. The winner can pick the charity of their choice and donate $400.”At press time, PCRC quickly got their video jingle together based on the Twelve Days of Christmas — their 12 days of Portage video was sent out to Prairie Fusion Arts & Entertainment, the City of Portage and the Family Resource Centre. The lyrics were as follows:“On the 12 days of Christmas, Portage gave to me: 12 geese a hissing, 11 potato trucks, 10 train crossings, nine zoom meetings, eight months of drought, seven grain silos, six Portage Terriers, five chicken and pizza places, only 4 parking spots, three COVID shots, two Ferris Wheels (round-a-bouts), and one larger than life Coke Can,” Brugger exclaimed.Schaan has found over his time spent in Portage that the community tends to gravitate towards ideas like this when you’re from a place where everybody knows your name.“It’s a wonderful thing to see. Over the summer when we did those sign wars, you just saw how this community picked up on something that they thought was a really great idea and they continued to carry it through,” Schaan said.“People pick up and help each other out as much as we can.”It’s in part why Brugger and Romphf continue to do what they do as facilitators of events across the calendar in Portage.“I think what I’ve enjoyed the most is that everyone is so willing to jump on board with ideas to help strengthen and build our community,” Brugger said.“It feels really good, it’s about coming together as a community and sharing in the spirit of the holidays,” Romphf said.“It feels very humbling to know that we all share the same passions and goals which is building our community from within the community. It makes everyone feel welcomed to be a part of this.”To check out the different holiday jingles submitted online, visit PCRC’s Facebook page.

The festive spirit is in the air down the streets of Portage La Prairie, as several businesses are coming together to spread some holiday cheer via recorded videos and greetings.

“We have some really great entertainers in Portage, and we thought it would be a great way for people to show off their talents and send a holiday greeting for the whole community to get involved,” said Megan Romphf, cultural connector for Portage Local Immigration Partnership

“It brings joy and a sense of camaraderie over the holiday season in Portage La Prairie.”

Twisters touch down on the ice

The Pembina Valley Twisters are continuing to create a whirlwind of force on ice as the club is putting the Manitoba Major Junior Hockey League on notice.“I’d say the group of guys have bought into the way we need to play to be successful this year, they are playing hard and coming to the rink ready to work whether it’s a game or practice,” head coach Matt Dyck said. “Everyone’s been working hard, buying into the system, making a good first pass and getting pucks in deep,” added Twisters captain Travis Penner.At press time, the Twisters had a record of 13-3-2 and sat third in the league with 28 points as they closed in on the season’s halfway mark. The Pembina Valley squad won eight of its nine games in October, and are riding a three-game winning streak from the month of November. The head coach said special teams have lately become an area of focus.“(On) our power play, we’ve been able to generate offence by getting a lot of pucks to the net, obviously when you’re capitalizing on that, that really helps out getting wins,” Dyck said. “Our penalty kill took a bit of a hiccup there two or three weeks ago. If you take seven or eight penalties a game, pucks are going to start going in the back of the net. I think we have a stranglehold on that now.” The Pembina Valley club has maintained a strong defensive presence on ice from the season star, averaging only 2.72 goals against per game, good enough for second best in the league. “Playing good defence is where everything starts,” Penner said.“You can score as many goals as you want but you can’t let in more than two or three to typically win a game.”The captain, who now has four goals and 15 assists on the year, said the goaltending tandem of Logan Enns and Martin Gagnon deserves credit.“Both of our goalies have been really stellar this year in all situations,” Penner said.“Just being consistent and making big saves occasionally when there’s a breakdown and they have to.”“They are a really good tandem, I think they are pretty confident that they can both face any team in the league and we’re confident in them,” Dyck added. “I think we only have five games where we allowed more than three goals, we’ve given ourselves a chance to win on a regular basis.”Gagnon, in his fourth year of the club, has a .907 save percentage with a goals-against average of 2.66 and a record of 6-3-1. Enns, in his first year with the team, has a .905 save percentage with a GAA of 2.50 and a record of 7-0-2. On the offensive end, the team has not taken its foot off the gas, averaging 4.33 goals per game — third highest in the MMJHL this season. The head coach said scoring was high at the beginning of the year as teams struggled defensively but play has now tightened up. The Twisters acquired forward Curtis Rebeck from the River East Royal Knights in a trade two weeks ago that has pleased management.“It gives us three offensive threats and solidifies our top four, so we can basically open our door, and play four lines which gives us a big advantage for the duration of the game,” Dyck said.“If you go through our game sheets, you don’t just see the same guys on there every night. There was a stretch when our third and fourth lines were producing all of our points. That’s helped to our success.”The head coach said the league’s competitive natured has not waned as the Twisters sit behind the St. James Jr. Canucks and Transcona Railer Express , who are in first and second place, respectively. Dyck said the Canucks defensive core and Transcona’s offensive forwards  will make them stiff competition, and acknowledged the parity of the MMJHL.“If you look at those top six teams, we lost to Fort Garry, Stonewall and the Charleswood Hawks,” Dyck said.“Right there that goes to show you if you don’t show up ready to play, anyone can put themselves in a game with you.”“If you’re not working hard every night, you can’t take nights off, it’s as simple as that,” Penner said.Dyck said going into the Christmas break he would like to see a consistent effort throughout the Twisters lineup to prepare for an intense return in January.“After Christmas things are going to pick up quite a bit moving into that last stretch before the playoffs,” Dyck said. “The pace of play is going to get a lot higher, your time and space is going to be taken away, and we want to go into the break firing on all cylinders.”  For the Twisters captain, the motivation has not dropped since the start of the season as he tries to make the most of his time left in junior hockey.“It’s my last year of juniors so this is my last chance to win the trophy again so every night is a building block towards the playoffs, trying to become a better team and I give it my all,” Penner said. “Doing all the little things you got to do to win hockey games.” 

The Pembina Valley Twisters are continuing to create a whirlwind of force on ice as the club is putting the Manitoba Major Junior Hockey League on notice.

“I’d say the group of guys have bought into the way we need to play to be successful this year, they are playing hard and coming to the rink ready to work whether it’s a game or practice,” head coach Matt Dyck said. 

One million lights and counting

The wait is nearly over for those looking to enjoy the Christmas spirit in the air at the Red River Ex, as the Canad Inns Winter Wonderland display is set to light up on Dec. 3. “Every year for me it screams Christmas,” said Garth Rogerson, CEO of the Red River Exhibition Association.  “I’ve enjoyed putting together our statue area this year, our skating rink is very popular and this year we’re opening a brand new permanent warm up structure. It’s all going to come together. I love the show so much that I go through it every night.”After 22 years and counting, the CEO shared what he loves the most about the 2.5-kilometre drive in light displays. “There’s so many different areas that there is really something for everybody,” Rogerson told The Headliner.“We see particularly with the Tunnel of Hearts, we see people that stop and get engaged in that area. We’ve made that area extra wide for people to do those kinds of romantic things. I imagine those photos turned out pretty good.”Running from Dec. 3 to Jan. 8, 2022, the 26 different themed Christmas light displays take a lot of work to set up each year. It’s a process that begins well ahead of the holiday season.“Some of the fixtures are over 30 feet tall, it’s not just setting up, it’s all those darn bulbs,” Rogerson laughed.“It takes months, we start this in September and they’re working right until we open in December. It’s a massive undertaking. Just think about setting up bulbs on your house, well times that by 5,000 and you have what we do here. There’s 10 guys working every day, all day trying to get it set up.”Over 3,000,000 watts are lit over the course of the 2.5-kilometre drive. Another highlight on display in the winter wonderland is the 70-foot-tall Christmas tree. It’s a job the CEO is happy to pass along based on the extreme heights.“Getting the tree up takes specialized equipment and takes someone with enough bravery to go up on a machine 70 feet up,” Rogerson joked.“The effort is worth it when we see so many people come through and enjoy the show.”Rogerson has overseen the event for 14 years as CEO. This year he recommends Mondays and Tuesdays as good days to attend the displays based on huge crowds from last year, but is optimistic with more things open to the public, the lines should not be as lengthy. “Last year was four times the crowd we usually get, we had a five-kilometre line of cars which was incredible,” Rogerson said.“I think people will be reassured they won’t have to wait two hours in line.”Rogerson said on weekends it is typical to see over a thousand cars attend the displays in a single night. This year, the Red River Ex is offering a special promotion to guests who attend on Wednesday nights. Each attendee will be given a pair of 3D glasses, which gives each light display an added dimension, according to Rogerson.“I wouldn’t recommend driving home with them on,” Rogerson laughed.For the CEO, the winter wonderland display always seems to bring him the Christmas spirit, and he can see that resonated in everyone that attends the seasonal attraction.“I love Christmas and I love the lights, the gaudier the lights, the better and you can never have enough,” Rogerson said.“It’s hard to describe, but it makes you feel warm inside. I often go out and direct traffic, and people are rolling down their windows and wave and say ‘Merry Christmas’, everybody seems happy and they enjoy their time here. It’s a unique kind of experience that you don’t often see and I think the show does that.”Over those 22 years, more than $340,000 has been given away to local charities in proceeds from the show. This year the Red River Exhibition Foundation has grown its scholarship program to 28, a number Rogerson is excited to see rising. The CEO is encouraging people to bring as many as they can fit into one car and to buy their tickets in advance, which are $15 per car. For more information, visit redriverex.com

The wait is nearly over for those looking to enjoy the Christmas spirit in the air at the Red River Ex, as the Canad Inns Winter Wonderland display is set to light up on Dec. 3. 

“Every year for me it screams Christmas,” said Garth Rogerson, CEO of the Red River Exhibition Association.  

“I’ve enjoyed putting together our statue area this year, our skating rink is very popular and this year we’re opening a brand new permanent warm up structure. It’s all going to come together. I love the show so much that I go through it every night.”

Portage musician wins guitarist of the year

The days of chasing that neon rainbow have come one step closer for Troy Flamand, a guitarist from Portage La Prairie. Flamand recently took home the 2021 Manitoba Country Music Award for Best Guitarist in the All Star Band of the Year category and his first ever win was an indescribable feeling.“Honestly, I was absolutely ecstatic,” Flamand exclaimed.“There was an unbelievable list of very talented guitar players up there and I keep saying I was honoured to have my name alongside those musicians, it was definitely something new for me.”This was Flamand’s second year being nominated in the same category following a nomination in 2019. Flamand said he was able to enjoy the moment even more by his relation to the rest of the people in the category.“One of them was a cousin of mine growing up, Brad Moggie, and the rest of the guys, Jordan Day and Brennan Wall, I’ve met and they are all great guys and musicians all around,” Flamand told The Headliner.Flamand is no stranger to learning music, having picked up the fiddle at age 12 which first got his interest in music. After a little while, the fiddle player turned to the guitar and by the time high school came, Flamand was playing in a few local bands.“I was doing a lot of rock music, kind of like any guitar player starting off,” Flamand said.“Then I started to hear some guys playing with a country sound, and just the tone that came from a country guitar player blew my mind and so I turned my focus towards that.”Flamand said he also found inspiration from Moggie after watching him play in local country bands in the area.“Just the way it gets a crowd going, it really drew me to it,” Flamand said.When he’s not working his regular job on Monday to Friday, Flamand has been able to stay busy in the Manitoba country music scene by performing with fellow Manitoban artist, Kendra Kay. The guitarist said he is a grateful to have an employer that understands his music career, especially while he prepares for upcoming gigs.“I’ve been playing with her for seven years now, and I’ve been fortunate to travel across Canada with her and play guitar and love every minute of it,” Flamand said.“I’m in Ontario right now for the (Canadian Country Music Awards) and my employer said go out there and do your thing and take the time off. The dream for any musician is to do it full time and I’m working my way there. I’m enjoying life with what the guitar has brought me.”Flamand was Kay’s lead guitarist during her shows at the event in London, Ont. The guitarist said he was able to take his playing skill to the next level after years of listening to country stars like Alan Jackson, Brad Paisley, Keith Urban and Vince Gill.“I always heard my older cousin playing them and I thought Brad Paisley was one of the best guitar players I had ever heard,” Flamand explained.“I’ve picked up a lot of Vince Gill’s technique in guitar playing especially moving into more of a lead guitar role with the bands I play with.”At the start of the pandemic, Flamand like many musicians took some time to dig deep into songwriting and is grateful to have had opportunities to do a lot of local shows in Portage while he soaks in the impressive award he won.“Portage has been a great place to grow up and chase my aspirations for everything,” Flamand said.“I’m a very fortunate guy to have the things I have going on right now and I’ll see where they take me.”

The days of chasing that neon rainbow have come one step closer for Troy Flamand, a guitarist from Portage La Prairie. 

Flamand recently took home the 2021 Manitoba Country Music Award for Best Guitarist in the All Star Band of the Year category and his first ever win was an indescribable feeling.

“Honestly, I was absolutely ecstatic,” Flamand exclaimed.

Senior living complex enters second phase

The Assiniboia Community Committee met on Nov. 24 to approve three property developments and discuss a number of issues related to zoning and community clubs, among other hyperlocal issues.

The committee approved a plan by Brightwater Senior Living to construct the next portion of its three-phase assisted living housing project in Linden Ridge. The first phase saw the construction of a three-storey, 170-suite apartment on the west corner of the 10.8-acre lot at 75 Falcon Ridge Dr.

Phase two of the development entails a new three-storey, 208-unit apartment, also geared to older adults. The proposal includes plans for 328 parking stalls, 203 of which would be located underground.

“What’s unique about this campus is that the aggregate of the campus is a continuum of care for senior living,” Randall Corwin, the director of Riverbend Construction (the developer and operator of Brightwater Senior Living) said during the Nov. 24 meeting.

News in brief

Caution urged near waterWith temperatures dropping, residents are reminded to use extreme caution around all waterways, including drainage ditches, culverts, streams, creeks, retention ponds, and rivers and to keep dogs and other pets at a safe distance, as well.“We are starting to see thin layers of ice forming on the river and ponds,” said assistant chief Mark Reshaur, Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service.“Staying away from the riverbanks, and off of any thin ice, is the only way to prevent the dire consequences of falling through,” added patrol sergeant Jason English, River Patrol Supervisor for the Winnipeg Police Service. “The WPS considers all frozen bodies of water within the city of Winnipeg to be unsafe for recreational use with the exception of areas that are monitored in accordance with the City’s Frozen Waterways By-Law, such as the Forks Centennial River Trail.”According to a City of Winnipeg release, the WFPS responds to approximately 200 water and ice safety calls for service. The public is reminded that while “Danger - Thin Ice” signage is posted at specific locations including outfalls, retention ponds and other potentially dangerous areas, all ice should be considered unsafe even if warning signage is not present.Meanwhile, the province also issued a warning regarding thin ice on Manitoba’s lakes and rivers.The Hydrologic Forecast Centre of Manitoba Infrastructure cautioned recreational users of waterways, such as snowmobilers, skiers, icefishers not to head out on the hard water just yet, as ice conditions in southern and central Manitoba are likely dangerous until at least mid-December.“Thin ice is often covered by snow, which produces weak spots due to its insulating effect,” the news release noted. “(And) areas of fast-flowing water tend to have thinner ice at this time of the year, which may not be visible.”City seeking input on enhanced summer bike routesThe City of Winnipeg is seeking feedback on the Enhanced Summer Bike Route Program via an online survey.The program was first piloted in 2020 as a response to COVID-19. In 2021, the City of Winnipeg created 17 routes dedicated to active transportation on shared roadways throughout Winnipeg, limiting motor vehicle traffic to one block, either daily or on Sundays and holidays only (depending on route), between May and November.City planners are now seeking info on the routes, so as to decide whether “to continue any or all of the routes in some capacity beyond 2021 or until full studies can be conducted in each route’s respective area.”For more information, visit winnipeg.ca/summerbikesKeeping cool for a causeA group of outdoor enthusiasts want to make Winnipeg the snowman capital of the world. The Last Snowman Contest is back with a slate of cash prizes to be won. Former Winnipegger Maria den Oudsten founded the contest in 2003 to raise awareness about climate change.“The snowman is an icon and warning that if we do not do something about global warming, we may not see another snowman,” den Oudsten said, in a Nov. 24 press release. Last year, den Oudsten awarded $5,000 to the best creations and plans to do the same this time. The first place builder earns $2,000, second place brings in $500, and the next top ten designs win $200. The snowmen are judged on height, sturdiness, decoration, presence, charm and likes on social media. For each post, $1 will be donated to an environmental charity. Photos can be posted to the Facebook page @lastsnowmanwinnipeg or on Twitter @SnowmanLast. Entries may also be submitted by email to lastsnowmanwinnipeg@gmail.comFor more information, contact local ambassador Sandra Hasenack at 204-797-6022. 

Caution urged near water

With temperatures dropping, residents are reminded to use extreme caution around all waterways, including drainage ditches, culverts, streams, creeks, retention ponds, and rivers and to keep dogs and other pets at a safe distance, as well.

“We are starting to see thin layers of ice forming on the river and ponds,” said assistant chief Mark Reshaur, Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service.

J.A. Cuddy School raises thousands for Terry Fox

The Red River Valley School Division continues to show an outpouring of support towards the legacy of Terry Fox and his foundation. Through the efforts of J.A. Cuddy School in Sanford, the foundation has received $13,528 from only 189 students.“I want to say how proud I am of the staff and students and the thankfulness of the community to support us the way they did,” said J.A. Cuddy principal Scott Thomson. “It isn’t anything specific that we did, it was the students and their families that ran with it. We were celebrating their success in fundraising for such a worthy cause. We’re pretty hopeful we’ll be the number one school in the province.”In years past, the school only focused on ideas like Toonies For Terry to help fundraise for the Terry Fox Foundation. Last year, the school raised $690, a previous high at the time. For this school year, Daniel Schinkel, a phys-ed teacher at J.A. Cuddy School kick-started their three week fundraiser with a new plan of action.  “I felt like we could change it up this year and see what we could do and so some incentives came into mind,” Schinkel said.“We started off with simple things like pajama day for the kids, longer recess outside and then we got a little creative. We started to do tape the teacher to the wall and pie the teacher in the face at $2,000. Because they reached that in the first two days we had to keep adding on for every $1,000 until we reached $7,000.”Other incentives included Thomson kissing a goat at $4,000, a dunk tank at $5,000, the staff agreeing to walk outside in the winter in shorts, and the staff agreeing to sleep on the roof of the building on a spring night. Thomson said the students are holding them accountable for their hard work fundraising.“I think the community embraced that and has those same feelings about Terry Fox,” Thomson said.“The students when they learned about it, it started growing from there. It was really them that drove it, and we’d say ‘okay, our goal is $2,000, $3,000, $4,000’. Every morning on the announcements they reached their goal and we had to announce a new incentive to fundraise.”Schinkel said the school earned $2,000 in just two days. Over the course of the three weeks, students would send in online video pledges, and go door to door to family and friends in the Sanford community with their Marathon of Hope taking place on Oct. 8. The principal said aside from entertaining the students, the fundraising speaks to the importance of the charity, Fox’s legacy and cancer research itself. “Cancer has touched everybody in one way or another or unfortunately will at one point,” Thomson told The Headliner. “I think for people in my generation where we were around in school when Terry Fox was running and the impact that he’s had worldwide, it’s something that we’re proud of a Canadian that has done this.”“It’s crazy to think about how he was such an influential Canadian,” Schinkel added.Amelia and Naomi Wiebe-Price, sisters in Grade 5 and Grade 6 at J.A. Cuddy School, were two of the top student earners this year. Raising $420 each, the sisters were eager to do their part in representing the legacy of Terry Fox and enjoyed taping their teacher to the wall as an added bonus. “It felt really good because I knew I was raising money for something good,” Amelia said. “He did everything he could to try to raise money for cancer.” “One of my friends’ mom got cancer when I was really young and also a friend I knew it got it but has survived and is coming on and off of it,” Naomi said. “It feels really good to raise money so that people like her can hopefully get better. It was pretty fun to do some of those things but it was nice to know that we were also doing it for a good cause as well. I think we can all learn from him to do things to help people with cancer.” The phys-ed teacher said he enjoyed taking part in the activities the school has arranged thus far, but is happy his experience with the dunk tank is over. “The dunk tank was really cold,” Schinkel laughed.“That whole week it was really warm, the dunk tank shows up and then it’s like three degrees and windy. It was fun though and a blast, but cold.”The Wiebe-Price sisters are looking forward to being principal for a day as a show of gratitude from Thomson for their fundraising efforts. The school will find out in January if it was indeed the number one earner in the province, but no matter the result was delighted to earn what they could and hopes to replicate their efforts next year.

The Red River Valley School Division continues to show an outpouring of support towards the legacy of Terry Fox and his foundation. Through the efforts of J.A. Cuddy School in Sanford, the foundation has received $13,528 from only 189 students.

“I want to say how proud I am of the staff and students and the thankfulness of the community to support us the way they did,” said J.A. Cuddy principal Scott Thomson. 

“It isn’t anything specific that we did, it was the students and their families that ran with it. We were celebrating their success in fundraising for such a worthy cause. We’re pretty hopeful we’ll be the number one school in the province.”

Blues hitting every note at both ends of the ice

The Winnipeg Blues have not missed a beat on ice through the first third of their season.The Manitoba Junior Hockey League club continues to gel, led by its veteran core.“I think we all know our end goal is to win a championship and move on to the RBC Cup and everybody in the room knows that goal,” said Blues captain Brayden Foreman. “We’re still getting contributions from everybody, the guys that have been with us for three or more years all know this is what we’ve been working for and our team has what it takes this year.”At press time, the Blues record of 16-5-1 with 33 points placed the team at the top of the MJHL’s East division. Blues head coach Taras McEwen said his club has been able to earn wins from every aspect of the game from special teams production to five-on-five play. “We have the three guys that are leading the league in scoring but in the games where they haven’t had the productivity, some of our depth guys, our bottom six have scored and contributed in different ways,” McEwen said.“Our goaltending has been consistent and steady back there and that has been a big part of our success so far.”The head coach referred to Foreman and his teammates Josiah Vanderhooft and Eric Fawkes, who are currently the top three players in the points column for the entire league. The Blues have scored 87 goals through their first 22 games with the trio accounting for 44 of that total.“I think a lot of things contribute to that, obviously having guys like Eric Fawkes and Josiah Vanderhooft who can shoot the puck the way they do, they have two of the best shots I’ve seen in this league,” Foreman told The Headliner. “It’s contributions from everybody, you look at our lineup, a lot of teams don’t have four lines that can go out there and produce every night.”“When those guys are going we’ve had lots of success,” McEwen added.“We capitalize on turnovers in the neutral zone, we’re not a team that is going to punish you, but we’ve been good off creating turnovers.”    Averaging 1.68 points per game, with 13 goals and 24 assists, the Blues captain was able to share what’s worked well for him on the offensive side of the puck.“I think being put with good teammates in good situations all the time, having a couple guys that you can pass the puck to and know that they are going to put it in the back of the net are definitely helpful,” Foreman said.“It’s building chemistry with the whole team, getting confident in your role, it all kind of contributes to my success and our overall team success.”The Blues recently won three out of four games in a miniseries with the Steinbach Pistons, their top division rival. McEwen and Foreman shared why it was such an important series for both teams who had yet to face each other in the regular season.“It was a real test to see where we were at,” McEwen said.“We treated it like a playoff series, when you’re playing four games in a row that was our message to the players. The entire series was real tight, some of those games could have went either way.”“Our room was pumped up before every game, we knew we had a chance to prove to the league, open up some eyes that we were a team to be feared every night,” Foreman said.“Taking seven out of eight points against a team like Steinbach is huge for our dressing room. We got goals from guys that stepped up in a big way, our goaltending was unreal, and our defensemen have been banged up but the guys that are playing are playing out of their minds.”At the time of publication, the Blues players have enjoyed taking part in the MJHL showcase, a three day event of regular season play giving NHL, WHL and college scouts a chance to see future hockey talent. The head coach said these games have extra motivation for the players, but their captain said it comes down to continuing to play a team game.“We’re going to try to communicate the message you don’t have to do too much to get noticed,” Foreman said.For the 20-year-old captain, Foreman explained why his final season with his teammates has provided an extra spark in his game.“This is why I stuck around for four years, I knew we were building something special and wouldn’t want to go through this adventure with any other team,” Foreman said.“I love every one of those guys in the room and now having a chance to win the championship at the end of it all is a special feeling. We’ll be there competing till the end for sure.” 

The Winnipeg Blues have not missed a beat on ice through the first third of their season.

The Manitoba Junior Hockey League club continues to gel, led by its veteran core.

“I think we all know our end goal is to win a championship and move on to the RBC Cup and everybody in the room knows that goal,” said Blues captain Brayden Foreman. 

Tin for the Critter Bin fundraiser a success

A recent pet-focused fundraiser has impacted the community in a number of ways, a key organizer says.

The Tin for the Critter Bin campaign in memory of Ethan Boyer was held throughout October, when donations were dropped off at Pet Valu locations in St. Boniface and Southdale, as well as Quarry Pets in Stonewall, Fluffy’s Pet Grocery in Teulon and the RCMP detachment in Headingley.

Boyer, who was 19 at the time, was killed in a collision on the south perimeter near Brady Road in October 2019. The Tin for the Critter Bin campaign has been spearheaded by Ethan’s parents, Sue Zuk-Boyer and Dana Boyer, and his brother, Reid Boyer, as a way of honouring his legacy and acknowledging his love of animals.

Another key figure in the campaign has been Tracey Johnson, the owner/operator of the St. Boniface and Southdale Pet Valu locations, who suggested holding the donation drive in her stores after talking with Ethan’s family about their healing process and the idea of preserving his legacy while helping out non-profit animal groups and shelter across the city by distributing the donations received during the campaign.  

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.

Portage Islanders celebrate return to ice

The 2021-22 season marks some unfinished business for the Portage Islanders, as the senior hockey club is hungry to return to South Eastern Manitoba Hockey League play.“It’s been good so far, we’ve got a few new faces on the team this year, so it’s taken a little bit to get some chemistry but it seems like everybody is clicking very well together,” said Islanders GM Jeremy Brooks.“As a team we’re slowly starting to come together and as we spend more time on the ice the better things seem to be getting for us.”“It’s awesome, you don’t really realize how much you miss it until it’s gone,” said Islanders captain Jens Meilleur.“It’s been awesome to hang out with the guys in the room, and get some competitive games in and we’re winning. It’s the cherry on top.”At press time, the Islanders stood atop of the SEMHL standings with a record of 3-1-0 having scored 21 goals and only surrendering nine in those four games.  Brooks, in his sixth year as GM of the club said it’s that excitement of returning to the ice that is feeding the players to have success at the offensive end of the ice.“There’s a lot of gratitude in the dressing room, everybody is excited to be back this year,” Brooks told The Headliner.“A lot of guys have had pretty long careers whether it is playing overseas, down south playing pro, university, college or junior hockey. It’s quite the unique perspective that gets brought together when you get a group of senior guys who have acquired this experience across different organizations in North America.”Brooks said there are 15 returning players from the 2019-20 season, the league’s last  before the pandemic (the  2020-21 season was cancelled), and three players who had played previously for the club in years past. With seven new faces on the team, the Islanders this season have a mix of players aged 20 to 30, all coming from different levels of junior, college and professional hockey. The team’s most seasoned veteran has been a pleasant surprise in his return to on ice form.“Our oldest player would be our goalie Ryan Person, he’s 42 and he’s a competitor,” Brooks said.“He’s taken really good care of his body to be able to play this long and he’s constantly played competitive hockey. He’s a gamer and he comes to the rink every game ready to play.”“We’re deep, we have four lines and six defenseman every night and that’s the hardest part is getting a full lineup and that helps a ton when guys are getting a little more tired towards the end of the game,” Meilleur added.Just like his team, Person had a perfect 3-0 start to the season with a save percentage of .932 and a goals against average of 2.11. With 18 games scheduled in the SEHL season, the Islanders will compete until early February for a top-three playoff seed.Brooks explained that the bottom four teams in the seven team league compete in a survivor-style playoff formate, featuring two single games and then a best-of-three series with winner joining the top three teams for the semifinals. The manager explained why his team has unfinished business in a league where anyone can win.“On any given night, any team can beat any other team which makes this league exciting to be a part of,” Brooks said.“I think previously we had played a lot of games against the Warren Mercs and specifically before the last season got cancelled, we were in the middle of the finals against them. It’s kind of like we didn’t get to finish that series, so I think everyone is looking forward to those games against Warren.”Amidst the regular season play, the SEMHL is celebrating its 70th anniversary. The league began with five teams in 1951, and Brooks said it’s special to have the league back in action in its anniversary year.“For the league to not go for a year is pretty rare, being able to have our 70th season is something that was missed over the last year,” Brooks said.“It goes to show you there’s a lot of people who are behind the league and communities that want to see their towns compete and to have it go for 70 years is fantastic to think we’ve had it for that long,” said Tom Vatrt, commissioner of the SEMHL.The commissioner, now in his third year with the league reflected on what makes the SEMHL unique.“What I notice in this is that the kids grow up, they play hockey together, as they get to be teenagers they separate and go different routes, whether it be the WHL, college routes, or Junior A routes, some make it to pro and then lo and behold when their careers are nearing the end they come back home to play with the guys they grew up with,” Vatrt explained.“It’s a great thing when you see that happen. These local towns with close vicinities to each other always have great rivalries.”After starting out playing for the Brandon Wheat Kings for four seasons, Meilleur found his way to Germany to play for the EC Kassel Huskies in the German DEL2 league for five years. Growing up in St. Eustache and the Portage La Prairie area, playing senior hockey for the Islanders now with other guys he grew up with is all the more special.“It’s funny how it’s come full circle and it’s fun to join a group like these guys,” said Meilleur, now 28. “There’s a league for us guys that want to go out there and compete, we’re fortunate to have it.”The league currently features teams from Altona, Carman, Morden, Notre Dame, and Winkler in addition to Portage and Warren.For Brooks, the SEMHL holds a special place for him after seeing the Portage Hawks franchise fold in the late 90s and the Portage Pirates only lasting one season.“I was the one that brought a league team back originally to Portage,” Brooks said.“Basically when I came along, there were a lot of people from Portage that had been playing in other senior leagues around. It was an effort to centralize that and get everyone back playing in Portage.”

The 2021-22 season marks some unfinished business for the Portage Islanders, as the senior hockey club is hungry to return to South Eastern Manitoba Hockey League play.

“It’s been good so far, we’ve got a few new faces on the team this year, so it’s taken a little bit to get some chemistry but it seems like everybody is clicking very well together,” said Islanders GM Jeremy Brooks.

“As a team we’re slowly starting to come together and as we spend more time on the ice the better things seem to be getting for us.”

La Salle woman wins nationwide competition

Brooklyn Piasta is no stranger to public speaking and sharing her concern for Canada’s agricultural sector based on climate change. After months of hard work and research, Piasta recently won first place in the 2021 Canadian Young Speakers for Agriculture nationwide competition.“I was sitting at home playing board games with my dad and I got an email that announced the winners and I read through the email not expecting much, then I saw my name and it was quite an exciting moment,” Piasta exclaimed. Piasta, a Grade 11 student at Sanford Collegiate, was able to take part in the competition as a result of winning the provincial 4-H Manitoba speech competition earlier in the year.4-H Manitoba paid for her entry into the CYSA competition and Piasta was able to submit her virtual speech on YouTube in early September to the 4-H council for review. By the end of October, her speech on the effects of climate change on Canada’s agricultural sector was officially entered.“For the competition there were five topics to choose from, and that was the one I thought would be most interesting and most current, one that demands current change,” Piasta told The Headliner.“I understand that climate change is a very large topic within the agriculture industry and affects the long-term sustainability of food production.”While doing weeks of research ahead of preparing the speech, Piasta found there is a direct correlation between climate change and the recent droughts the prairie provinces have experienced over the last few years.“Droughts have been a very big issue, with the limited amounts of water we’re seeing these days, it’s causing a decrease in crop yields and amounts of good crops taken out of the ground,” Piasta explained.“It’s causing a lot of water to be taken out of Canada’s water supply. A lot of the Canadian water supply is being needed to address these needs of water since we’re getting less now these days.”As a result, Piasta was concerned to find how much water the country needs to take from itself to support the farming sector of the economy.“I was surprised to learn that agriculture is the number one consumer of Canada’s water supply and the desperate need for water is caused by the lack of precipitation that Canadians are experiencing,” Piasta said.Piasta has been a member of La Salle’s 4-H Club for 11 years and people are appreciating the hard work she has put in“I was incredibly proud of her, she’s always been a really good role model and leader of our club and to see her get that kind of achievement was so nice,” said Michelle D’Souza, co-head leader of the 4-H Club in La Salle.“It’s seeing all of her hard work pay off over the years, because she really puts a lot of effort into everything she does. You can take whatever your interest is and go further with it.”D’Souza has been with the 4-H Club for five years and has watched Piasta take on car maintenance projects, learn how to run a business has overseen her taking on a mentorship role of leading a sewing group for the club. D’Souza said Piasta, the club’s current president has filled every role and her speech has propelled her as a leader in the community.“Listening to her talk about it is really neat to see her understanding of such a huge topic,” D’Souza said.“Her enthusiasm and seeing her commitment to it was pretty cool to see in representing Canada. It’s not something that surprises me because she is Brooklyn. Brooklyn takes what she does and she goes hard every step of the way. Everything she does in 4-H she works really hard to perfect and she’s constantly looking for other opportunities.”D’Souza works for Canadian Canola Growers Association and can see Piasta becoming an important figure in Manitoba’s farming community while raising awareness of an important issue.“It’s climate change in agriculture, it’s women in agriculture, it’s these young people in agriculture that are bringing it forward to the next generation,” D’Souza said.“Just seeing that succession from the older generation to the younger generation is really neat to see.”Piasta said she hopes to pursue a post-secondary career in agriculture after graduating high school. 

Brooklyn Piasta is no stranger to public speaking and sharing her concern for Canada’s agricultural sector based on climate change. 

After months of hard work and research, Piasta recently won first place in the 2021 Canadian Young Speakers for Agriculture nationwide competition.

Trojans stand tall in defeat

Jill Fast’s first full season as head coach of the Portage Collegiate Institute Trojans has come to a close and she says the high school’s football program is filled with optimism after a return to the gridiron.“I think with it being the year off from COVID and starting in September instead of August, I think towards the end we really came together as a team,” Fast told The Headliner.  On Nov. 5, the Trojans season officially wrapped up with a 26-20 loss to the Steinbach Sabres in the semifinals of the 2021 Westman Championship. Despite the close loss, Fast said losing to their closest competitor made her team stand tall in defeat. “Our last game was one of our best games even though we lost,” Fast said.“It was a hard way to lose and end the season but I was so proud of our players as they put it all on the line. We got behind at first but then we came right back and took the lead but then fell short.” The 2021 season looked a little different for the Trojans as they were placed in a four-team bubble dubbed the Westman Division for the year. The Portage squad played six games on the year, with a record of 2-4, facing the Steinbach Sabres, Crocus Plains Plainsmen and Vincent Massey Vikings each for a home and away series. The head coach said the Vikings were the class of the division. “It was definitely Vincent Massey, they were undefeated in the regular season,” Fast said. “I liked the bubble this year as we could do our own thing and not have to worry as much. It was kind of neat playing each team twice. If you didn’t play well the first game, watching game film would make me adjust to the change from the first to subsequent games.”Despite a losing record on the year, Fast said the team should have a balanced attack on offense and defense going into next season. “We have one of the toughest but smaller-statured running backs ever,” Fast said.“He did really well on offence. Our linebackers on defence, we had two Grade 12 captains and they shut a lot down. Overall I really try to promote every player, has a role big or small.”With eight players set to graduate, the head coach is hopeful word of mouth will help attract more kids to football next year, but was grateful to have a plethora of young talent mixed in from every grade at PCI. “I hope they all return, most years we don’t usually take Grade 9s but this year we did, and we had lots of kids from Grade 9, 10 and 11,” Fast explained. “Even our quarterback, very talented Grade 10 kid, I’m hoping they all want to come back and recruit some more too.”Fast, who has been with the PCI football program since 2014, is hopeful to see her team placed in the Winnipeg High School Football League Division 2 next year as the league returns to pre-pandemic divisional settings. Fast was nominated for WHSFL coach of the week by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in October, and says she’s always trying to find ways to improve. “Honestly, you’re always building on your skills as a coach,” Fast said.“I purchase and read football books, coming up with drills, it’s building on those things you read and the drills you draw up. That’s my plan going forward.” Fast said she was proud to lead the Trojans alongside longtime female general manager Kellee Clifford-Bousquet.“I think it’s probably the first time a female head coach and manager ran the team which is a little more unique and special,” Fast added.“Overall it was a great season, I’m really proud of all the players and I’m looking forward to continuing the program next year.”

Jill Fast’s first full season as head coach of the Portage Collegiate Institute Trojans has come to a close and she says the high school’s football program is filled with optimism after a return to the gridiron.

“I think with it being the year off from COVID and starting in September instead of August, I think towards the end we really came together as a team,” Fast told The Headliner.  

On Nov. 5, the Trojans season officially wrapped up with a 26-20 loss to the Steinbach Sabres in the semifinals of the 2021 Westman Championship. Despite the close loss, Fast said losing to their closest competitor made her team stand tall in defeat. 

Water safety program makes a splash

A group of organizations in Portage La Prairie have pooled their resources together to offer a water safety program for newcomer families in the community after concern had been expressed by parents.“Well, as we know every year there are drownings. We don’t like to talk about it, but it does happen,” said Miriam Turyamwijuka a settlement co-ordinator with Portage Learning and Literacy Centre.“A large population of those cases are newcomers to Canada.”“It kind of came out of a tragedy, a few well-known members of the newcomer community, there were a couple of drowning incidents that had happened recently in Winnipeg,” said Ranju Upadhyaya, community connections co-ordinator for PLLC.“A few of the mothers wanted to get swimming lessons for their kids, and we had talked about arranging a program for that.” In partnership with PLLC, the Portage Regional Recreation Authority and Recreation Opportunities for Kids Central have started the Splashing Good Time sessions at the Shindleman Aquatic Centre in Stride Place. The program meant for kids aged five to 12 featured its first two sessions on Nov. 4 and Nov. 18 and will continue on Nov. 25 and Dec. 2, 9 and 16. “The amount of interest was greater than we thought so we split it into two sessions,” Upadhyaya explained.“The first session has 16 kids and the second session has the other group of 16 kids.”On each of those days, the first group is scheduled from 5 to 5:50 p.m. and the second group is scheduled from 5:55 to 6:45 p.m. In the first 15 minutes, families can join their children in the water for a casual swim, and then in the last 30 minutes a formal swimming lesson is instructed for kids with the lifeguards. “We kind of thought what a great opportunity for the same kids to take it throughout,” Upadhyaya told The Headliner.“This is kind of a controlled environment for them to get in the water, learn a few strategies and families are also welcome to swim when the kids are having a formal swimming lesson.”Turyamwijuka explained that in recent years, new immigrant families often have saltwater swimming experience which varies from swimming in freshwater lakes leaving some with no formal training.“Saltwater helps you float, when people are used to swimming in saltwater, they’re used to more buoyancy than freshwater has, so suddenly they are in our freshwater lakes and they don’t expect it,” Turyamwijuka added.“Some of that safety is a huge concern and something that a lot of Canadians may take for granted because they grew up with swimming lessons being a huge part of their childhood.”The co-ordinators for PLLC said it was a program they wanted to offer as a continuation of their summer youth engagement camp which offered swimming lessons previously. “We’re all seeing in our own role the need for newcomer families to kind of learn to get comfortable in the water but also techniques to help keep safe in the water,” Upadhyaya said. “A few of the drowning incidents did kind of create a fear of water, so we’re trying to combat that but also trying to make it seem that swimming is fun and a way to stay active in the winter.”For Upadhyaya, creating the program was one of many roles she has enjoyed while engaging new women, seniors and youth who have moved to the community.“Honestly, it’s cliché but I love the connection part of it, I have a lot of clients that I work with that have come back and said they now feel a part of the community,” Upadhyaya said.“It’s my job to connect them with resources, making sure any language or gender barrier doesn’t get in their way.”In the new year, PLLC would like to offer a swimming program dedicated to newcomer women who may not feel comfortable learning how to swim with others around.Upadhyaya said there currently is a waitlist for new families looking to join the program and proof of vaccination is required for those 12 and up. Transportation and snacks are provided for those that are able to join and more information on the program can be found by emailing ranju@pllc.ca. 

A group of organizations in Portage La Prairie have pooled their resources together to offer a water safety program for newcomer families in the community after concern had been expressed by parents.

“Well, as we know every year there are drownings. We don’t like to talk about it, but it does happen,” said Miriam Turyamwijuka a settlement co-ordinator with Portage Learning and Literacy Centre.

“A large population of those cases are newcomers to Canada.”

Loving the grind

Seth Jarvis had a plan and he stuck to it.

The 19-year-old Winnipegger made his NHL debut for the Carolina Hurricanes against the Arizona Coyotes on Oct. 31 in emphatic style, making an assist for the winning goal in 2-1 victory.

What made the historic occasion even sweeter was that Seth’s family — father Ray, mother Tracey, and older brother Kayden — were in the PNC Arena to watch the game and share the experience with Seth, who was drafted by Carolina in the first round with the 13th pick overall in 2020 and has a year of minor-junior eligibility remaining with the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks.

Ray Jarvis — a vice-principal at Dakota Collegiate — proudly spoke to The Lance recently about the experience and his son’s dedication to get to this point in his career and make his childhood dream come true. Jarvis is grateful to the Carolina Hurricanes organization for its support and for accommodating them at the game.

Virtual event to highlight women in agriculture

Manitoba Women in Agriculture and Food is preparing to host its first-ever virtual event, promoting women in the Portage La Prairie agricultural sector at the forefront of the farming industry.“We are very excited about it, the overall goal is to highlight the role of women in our industry,” said chair of the MWAF board, Laura Lazo.“We do that because it’s not fully understood or appreciated. When you think of a farmer, the traditional perspective is that it is a man. The woman would play a role within the family farm, but not necessarily from the point of view of business.”Lazo, chair of the registered non-profit organization, said agriculture in Manitoba is very diversified at many levels, with women representing a huge role in the development of the industry. On Thurs., Nov. 18,from 6 to 7:30 p.m.,  the organization will host a free virtual panel discussion of women who farm in the region while encouraging attendees to start or strengthen their farm businesses. “People that are a part of the panel are farmers and multigenerational farmers but also farmers that have started a new line of production,” Lazo told The Headliner.“From that perspective, the audience will get advice from people that are very experienced in the business.”Megan Romphf, the cultural connector with Portage Local Immigration Partnership reached out to many local female business owners and creators within the sector to put together the panel and said it was time Portage held an event like this. “I am really looking forward to bringing the community together through women and all their accomplishments and for them to be acknowledged through this celebration we’re putting on,” Romphf said.“MWAF members are all over Manitoba,” Lazo said.“Megan brought forward all of the organizations that were interested in women and agriculture and developing or attracting economic opportunities to the region. It has worked out really nicely.”Leading up to the evening discussion on the 18th, people can currently view MWAF’s YouTube channel to see a wide selection of videos published from Nov. 15 to Nov. 17 featuring content from Stone Shed Gardens, Picket Fruit Farms, Prairie Cricket Farms, Fort La Reine Museum, Manitoba Pork Producers and more, highlighting women in the workforce. One such contributor at this year’s panel is Ashley Nelson, co-owner of JI Bar Cattle Company based out of Austin, Man. Nelson and her husband have run their business for 14 years now, and she is responsible for the cattle company’s bookkeeping and working hands on outside with the animals in the fields.  “We’re going to talk about some of the different challenges that we face, especially as a younger couple,” Nelson explained.“We weren’t grandfathers of the farm so to speak. We were kind of on the tail end of the time when people were trying to get their feet underneath them. We were brand new.”Nelson said over the years it has been difficult to get a leg up on land available to rent or buy at a reasonable price in the Austin area based on cost or lack of availability.“Just growing the business in general is not that simple, not only do you have to maintain what you have, you have to pay quite a lot of debt every year, those are our biggest challenges,” Nelson said.The cattle owner is excited to join the women led committee to highlight some of the existing barriers she continues to face in the workforce.“For example, I’ve had different conversations on the phone with different financial lenders in the past and they are pretty quick to want to talk to my husband,” Nelson said.“That always puts a bad taste in my mouth, especially when I’m as involved in the farm as he is. Just because women don’t spend the majority of their time outside doesn’t mean their role isn’t as big. If I get fluffed off simply because I’m a woman.” Nelson said the same situation could be applied if a salesman approached their company for business.“If they’re not willing to talk to me about equipment or feed, if my husband isn’t around, and they fluff me off, they might not get a chance to tell us anything ever,” Nelson said.After 14 years in the business, Nelson does not want people to think women are superior to men, rather, equality is brought to the table for future business deals and discussion. “The fact of the matter is we are always looked down as the silent partner,” Nelson said.“You sign your name on the dotted line so that your husband can do whatever he needs to do. That is what needs to change.”Romphf saw this connection through Nelson’s work and encouraged others to take part in the panel to show the growth of women in this sector of work. The co-ordinator is excited to host this event again in person next summer in Portage.“It’s not just about the farming aspect, it’s also about their passions, their hopes and dreams, what it’s like to be a mother at the same time as trying to help with the family farm or run a business,” Romphf said.Nelson is encouraging other women to grow their footprint in the industry as it continues to be a vital facet of her life.“It’s a wonderful way to raise our children, I could not imagine raising them anywhere else,” Nelson said.“We have two girls and a boy, and we encourage our children to participate in all aspects of the farm work equally. My kids get to grow up watching mom and dad work hard together.”To learn more about the virtual panel and attend, visit eventbrite.ca/e/celebrating-women-in-agri-culture-in-portage-la-prairie-region-in-mb-tickets.  

Manitoba Women in Agriculture and Food is preparing to host its first-ever virtual event, promoting women in the Portage La Prairie agricultural sector at the forefront of the farming industry.

“We are very excited about it, the overall goal is to highlight the role of women in our industry,” said chair of the MWAF board, Laura Lazo.

“We do that because it’s not fully understood or appreciated. When you think of a farmer, the traditional perspective is that it is a man. The woman would play a role within the family farm, but not necessarily from the point of view of business.”