A year in review

It’s been another unforgettable year for Winnipeggers for countless reasons — not least because of the continued impact of the ongoing pandemic.

That said, Winnipeggers are nothing if not resilient. And once again, many of their stories have been told in The Lance this year. As 2022 approaches, here are a few of the stories that were featured in 2021.

January: Educating beyond borders

As the year turned, the learning curve relating to COVID-19 continued, and La Liberté once again collaborated with a number of partners to create a new children’s science magazine.

A year in local sport

Since March 2020, the world of organized sports — like so many worlds — has been turned upside down in light of the ongoing pandemic.

However, as restrictions this year have moved back and forth, the history books will testify to numerous outstanding and impressive achievements and milestones at different levels of sport in southeast Winnipeg in 2021.

Here are a few of those stories:

Scholarship preserves memory of local rower

It’s never too soon for a tornado plan

As I watched the news about the devastating tornado in the United States, I silently thanked my grade school teachers and parents. They gave me knowledge and skills to protect myself from many dangers I would face in life.

Schools played a huge role in keeping every child safe. The school nurse gave us vaccines. Teachers taught us to stay safe on roads; to always walk on the shoulder facing traffic. To use hand signals when riding our bikes on the streets. They even taught us what to do in a tornado. Visiting a small town after a tornado with my family gave me a healthy respect for this powerful force of nature. I learned to read the prairie sky for warnings and to trust my instincts when I feel danger in the air.

On Aug. 20, 2006, I saw the signs. It was a Sunday afternoon. I was on my deck facing north. The sky had a yellowish-brown cast. The hair on the back of my neck stood up. Clouds were moving fast from west to east. Then I saw it, a small funnel extending down from a dark cloud. I snapped a few pictures as I judged its distance and direction — ready to take cover if needed. My neighbours were unaware of the danger as they flipped burgers and enjoyed a backyard pool party.

The next day, newspapers reported that Winnipeg had narrowly missed a tornado. It skirted just north of my house — flipping over small planes at the St. Andrews airport. Canada’s first-ever F5 tornado touched down the next year just 30 kilometres west in Elie, Man.  

Pickleball – the ‘new kid on the block’

Last summer a member of our Dakota Community Centre, Kevin Brown, suggested I write a column in The Lance about a popular game called pickleball.

“It’s universal,” he said, “and Snowbirds play it down south.”

Pickleball is reputed to be the fastest-growing sport in North America. Take a bow, pickleball – you’re the “new kid on the block.” The Internet offers a great explanation about its origin and name but no, there is no pickle in Pickleball!

Briefly: three golfers in the northwestern United States devised this hybrid sport using simple materials on hand just to have some relaxing fun with family and friends. It is based on elements of tennis, ping pong, and badminton. The court is medium-sized and the game can be played by young and old and those between. A large paddle or bat and a plastic ball the size of a tennis ball — with larger holes for indoors and smaller holes for outdoors to counteract winds —completes the equipment list.

St. Vital Museum now open two days a week

At my stage of life, I don’t get too excited about much, but the one thing I look forward to seeing every Monday is the continuing changes to the St. Vital Museum, which I must say, have been impressive over the course of the past few months.

I’d like to take credit for the changes, but I can’t because that belongs to Jared Warkentin, who has transformed the former St. Vital fire hall into a museum showcasing the history of the second-oldest settlement in Winnipeg.

Don’t take my word for the new look, take a look yourself any Saturday or Tuesday, beginning Dec. 28.

Yes, you read that correctly — the St. Vital Museum will be open to visitors two days a week thanks to the availability of Warkentin.

A year in the life of Winnipeg

A local artist has created a Winnipeg-themed calendar that will not only help buyers organize the coming year ahead, but also benefit a downtown community health facility.

South Winnipeg resident Kris Kuzdub created an annual calendar with a new Winnipeg-focused theme every year, and the 2022 edition features 12 distinct neighbourhoods across the city, she told The Lance recently. With each calendar purchased, Kuzdub will donate $10 from the sale to the Main Street Project.

Kuzdub said each calendar month features a different community depicted by a hand-drawn design. The neighbourhoods include recognizable landmarks, signage, notable river bends, and “even some infamous roadways that give each neighbourhood its unique character and identity.” In southeast Winnipeg, there are months dedicated to St. Boniface and Old St. Vital.

The new calendar comes on the heels of this year’s calendar, which showcases Winnipeg landmarks and includes a recognizable local building every month. This calendar was created not long after Kuzdub lost her job in the urban design field because of the pandemic, which is when she established Kirsch Street Prints. And even though Kirsch Street Prints was relatively new venture at that time, Kuzdub managed to raise more than $300 in donations at a time when many people were struggling due to the impact of COVID-19.

Rambling along with … The Unexpected Gift

Tara Torchia is the owner of The Unexpected Gift, a unique, compassionate, caring, and genuinely empathetic business — which we all should be aware of.

First we’ll meet Tara… and as with all my columns, I’ll let her tell her own story:

“I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012, I went through a mastectomy, six rounds of chemotherapy and 25 blasts of radiation — the full-meal deal,” she said. “I was off work for about one year and when I went back, people were still complaining about the same things. After my experience, I knew that the only people that can change their situation are themselves. I felt that I could simply not ‘do’ corporate Canada anymore.

“I took a business development course with the Women’s Enterprise Centre and the rest is history. I also felt there had to be an easier way of going through this cancer dance, so I thought ‘Why not have everything that you might need in one location — a one stop shop, owned and operated by a cancer survivor? Someone who can really relate to what you are going through,” she explained.

Infrastructure builds communities

When we think about what builds a community, we first think of people. But there is also the large amount of infrastructure that surrounds it, things such as recreational centres, libraries, sidewalks, pathways, water and wastewater, transit and roads.

The Canada Community-Building Fund, formerly the Gas Tax Fund, provides communities across Manitoba with stable and flexible funding for their infrastructure priorities. This year, our government doubled the amount of funding allocated, which means that Manitoba has received $75.8 million for the 2021-22 fiscal year, and a top-up of more than $72.5 million.

Of this funding, Winnipeg will benefit from $46.4 million and a $44.4 million top-up, for a total of more than $90.8 million to help the City of Winnipeg maintain and improve its infrastructure. Municipalities allocate these funds to carry out infrastructure projects that support the well-being of their residents, and can use the funds immediately for priority projects, bank them for later use, pool the dollars with other communities for shared infrastructure projects, or use them to finance major infrastructure expenditures.

I am pleased to see the impact that the Canada Community-Building Fund is having in Saint Boniface – Saint Vital. It has helped fund important renovations at Bonivital Pool, major road renewal on streets like Archibald and Dunkirk, and a planned new splash pad at Champlain Community Centre.

Nelson McIntyre’s Backyard Project

It’s hard to believe it’s December 2021. Each of us in the Louis Riel School Division have adjusted and readjusted to the changes necessitated by the pandemic.

Our community has spent the last 20-plus months pushing through our limitations and discovering that our capabilities were far beyond what we thought possible. Many of our students are now back to a more regular learning routine alongside their peers, participating in sports, playing music, discovering their passions and so much more.

Education has a way of presenting new paths. The inspiration in teaching and learning has united us through the pandemic. Together, we found ways to be kind and supportive. Whether its through virtual or in-person classes, we continued to build and nurture relationships.

I am truly grateful to work alongside our staff, parents, guardians, and grandparents. Thank you for your voices, expertise, and commitment to creating an engaging learning space for our students to flourish through this challenging time.  

Tomorrow isn’t promised, so live today

What a year it’s been. Twelve months of uncertainty and worrisome headline news. Most, if not all, of us have been impacted either directly or indirectly by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. And nobody really knows when it will end. But we are still here. Waking up every morning and forging ahead with our days, doing the best we can.

It’s easy enough to make a long list of some of the harsh and heart-breaking consequences of the pandemic. But it’s the end of the year so I thought instead I’d focus on the positive side of things. I heard Canadian actor/singer Tom Jackson in an interview last week. He said, “the one thing that this world needs more than anything else is joy.” His words really resonated for me. I think we forget sometimes that we are meant to experience joy, that joy exists all around us and is available to us in so many forms, and at all times.

I know I’m not alone when I say that this last year has been a time of reflection like no other. I’ve reviewed my priorities, cleaned house, if you will, taken inventory of what matters most to me and tried my best to focus on that and forget about the rest. The pandemic has left many vulnerable, has reminded us that nothing is to be taken for granted. Quality of life has come centre stage and I think that’s a good thing.

I took my first flight in two years to visit friends in Vancouver last month. The west coast air never felt so good, the rain never felt so refreshing, and every minute with friends was cherished more than ever. Five days there felt like five hours. It all happened so fast but I’m sure glad it happened.

What a difference a year made in Royalwood

We began 2021 in code-red pandemic conditions, but that didn’t stop area resident Tony Braccio from launching Italian eatery Pasta di Casa.

By the time we reached late August, Blush Massage + Beauty was able to open its doors on St. Anne’s Road, across the street from Southglen Shopping Centre.

Along the way, we met Denise Turanli and Mike Boychuk of Royal Wicker, who design and create their own line of outdoor furniture. Most recently, lawyer Ifeyinwa Echezona described her journey of arriving from Nigeria to living in her Royalwood dream home and opening her own practice.

Stories of young people in our neighbourhood following their passions and contributing to our community came to the forefront.

Legendary “spirit tree” remnant has new home

Part of the carved “spirit tree” that stood majestically in the Bois-des-Esprits forest in Royalwood for the best part of two decades has a new home at the Musée de Saint-Boniface Museum.

According to a joint news release from the museum and Save Our Seine, the famed tree known as Woody-Mhitik was carved from the base of an elm tree — its lower trunk was stripped and salvaged after its crown was removed because of Dutch elm disease in 2004.  

Local carvers Walter Mirosh and Robert Leclair transformed the tree into two spirits — one looking up into the Bois-des-Esprits’ leafy canopy, and the other facing an oxbow of the nearby Seine River. Time finally caught up with the legendary tree this past summer.

The museum (494 Tache Ave.) is now exhibiting Woody-Mhitik’s oxbow face in its chapel room, along with interpretive signage that accompanied the sculpture in its original location in the forest. Organizers say the tree succumbed to old age and crumbled to the ground in August, and although the canopy was beyond salvation, longtime SOS supporter and former board member Marcel Ritchot retrieved and restored the oxbow face.   

Canstar Community News Weekly Video Update for Dec.15, 2021

Canstar managing editor John Kendle chats with Lance reporter Simon Fuller about stories in the Dec. 15 issue and upcoming changes for the Canstar Community News weeklies.

Broncos bring it on

The J.H. Bruns Broncos girls’ volleyball team has won the 2021 Boston Pizza AAAA provincial championships.

The fourth-ranked Broncos beat the sixth-ranked St. Mary’s Academy Flames (21-25, 25-19, 25-23, 25-17) in the championship game at Sturgeon Heights Collegiate on Dec. 4.

Earlier in the day, the Southdale-based team beat the top-seeded Vincent Massey (Wpg) Trojans (20-25, 25-17, 18-25, 19-25) in the semifinal — much to the delight of players and coaches.

The team’s head coach, Kris Funk, said he’s proud of the girls for producing some standout performances throughout the season and during the recent championships, not least because a small roster meant not every player got to line up in her preferred position.

‘She meant a lot of things to a lot of people’

Tributes have been coming in for Bev Morton, a local gallery owner and arts patron who died recently.

As reported in the Dec. 8 edition of The Lance, the 71-year-old owner of the Provencher Boulevard-based Wayne Arthur Gallery died in November after a long battle with cancer.

“Bev’s gallery was well-known, and she was a fixture in St. Boniface,” Morton’s sister, Sandra Morton Weizman, said recently. “She was renowned in Manitoba and had a huge following among artists. Her gallery was a cultural hub and a place for artists to come to and meet up. She was a big mentor for emerging artists and also a draw for artists from remote areas of the province.”

Artist Ruth Kamenev, who knew Morton well, had a number of exhibits at her friend’s gallery through the years.

The magic of Christmas memories

The Christmas season is upon us and I hope you all find some joy and peace to nourish. At this time of year, I sometimes reflect on pleasant memories of years long ago.

Cutting down the tree

When I was young, cutting down the Christmas tree was an all-day event. We packed into the car and drove east of Winnipeg, paid our 25 cents at the designated area in Sandilands Provincial Forest, and traipsed into the bush with dad’s axe to figure out which top of one of the tall trees would look best in our living room.

Some years the tree was not perfect. OK, some years it was downright comical. But it smelled fabulous and always looked beautiful once the lights and decorations were adorning it. On occasion, I know Dad drilled holes in the tree trunk where he placed branches to make the tree look fuller.

A not-so ‘community’ experience

Recently I had to question the word ‘community.’ After a two-year absence from being a Christmas craft-sale vendor, I decided to take it upon myself to organize a sale for the first time.

I chose a club that was my old alma mater, since no one had rented it this year. It didn’t take long to find 24 other like minds who were anxious to display their goods and pocket a little holiday hash.

I knew zilch about the rules and regulations during this COVID period. But I did insist every participant, and shopper had to be vaccinated. Next came designing the poster.

The day the poster was fresh off the press, I delivered it to the community club. I was like a kid on Christmas morning. Immediately, one of the staff taped it to the entrance door.

Celebrating safely for the season

We have come a long way from last holiday season. With vaccinations begin administered to everyone over five and modifications to gathering rules, it is looking like we can safely reconnect over the holidays.

During the past year or more, many of us have really felt the absence of friends and family when we had to keep our distance or not gather at all. If there is one lesson we’ve carried forward, it is how to make the most of our time with people we care about when we do get those opportunities to see them.

I wish all of you a happy holiday season and hope you find many moments of joy, reconnection, solace and peace. Whether gathering with family (safely) or taking your favourite winter hike, it is so important to find ways to nourish our well-being this winter.

We also have to keep taking care of each other. Whether through simple connection and conversation, or charitable initiatives that ensure people have what they need to be safe and warm this holiday season.

Jumping into the theatre world

Emmanuelle Rigaud is relishing her new position at Théâtre Cercle Molière.

On Nov. 22, Rigaud started at the long-standing, St. Boniface-based francophone theatre company in the role of administrative director.

The West End resident replaced the former longtime TCM stalwart Ginette Caron, who retired from the position earlier this year having been with the organization for more than two decades.

Rigaud has a literary background — she was previously the director of Les Éditions du Blé, a non-profit French-language publishing house based in St. Boniface. And now, she’s excited to be venturing into the theatrical world and working with what she calls a first-class team at Théâtre Cercle Molière.