Visits to local institutions rewarding

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 17/6/2016 (1715 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

On April 19 I was honoured to receive a clear mandate from the people of Rossmere to represent our area in Manitoba’s legislature.

In the weeks following , I have been busy learning the work of a legislator, responding to emails, phone calls, invitations, and requests from people in the constituency. I’m in the process of opening a constituency office and getting organized to serve people in the community. Thank you to everyone who helped on the campaign and to all who voted to send me to the legislature. It is a privilege to serve in this way and this is not a position I take lightly.

Recently, I enjoyed a visit to John de Graff School, where hundreds of children access programming before, after and during school hours. For nearly 40 years this school has served our area, and now serves the children of parents who once attended this same school in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Also rewarding was a recent visit to a Sikh temple on McLeod Avenue where I was welcomed warmly. The Sikh community in our area recently raised $5,000 for those affected by the Fort McMurray fires, an endeavour reflecting their commitment to improving the lives of those who suffer.  

Churches are also doing great things in our community. Jubilee Church, located on Springfield just west of Raleigh, hosts a community garden, community kitchen, emergency food pantry, girls’ art club, family drop in, bike repair and other projects to help people. Nine churches in our area are opening their doors this summer under an "art of neighboring" initiative. And on June 3 to 4, churches from across Winnipeg were joined by cadets, police, fire and bylaw officers to clean up a 100-block area downtown.

Salvation Army food trucks offered snacks and warm drinks in the rain as crews picked up garbage, mowed and weed-whacked yards and boulevards. One team built a storage room and shelving at the Indian & Metis Friendship Centre and another freshened up their parking lot with new gravel. Another family had a new back landing and stairs built to replace the one that was about to fall off. Residents of Manitoba housing received three new park benches.

Another team repainted a badly rusted gate entrance to the same complex. There was also a yard sale, kids’ carnival including games with prizes and an indoor concert by Fresh I.E.
On the weekend of Fri., June 24 to Sun., June 26, Valley Gardens Community Centre is hosting a 40th Anniversary Carnival with numerous activities and events. I’ll be serving pancakes on Saturday morning from 8 to 10 a.m. Come by and say hi!