The Times Year in Review 2017

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This article was published 02/01/2018 (3121 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

 

 

It was an eventful year in northwest Winnipeg, with local communities making an impact both in their own backyards and abroad. Here are some of the stories we covered during 2017.

January: Ukrainian-Canadians celebrate major anniversary

A major milestone for the Ukrainian-Canadian community was marked in 2017, as members of the Ukrainian community, a major presence in northwest Winnipeg historically, marked the 125th anniversary of their arrival in Canada.

Adding to the year’s significance, it was also the 70th anniversary of the Canadian Citizenship Act, which has great importance to the Ukrainian community, as one of its members, Wasyl Eleniak, was one of the people honoured at the first citizenship ceremony on Jan. 3, 1947.

 

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Chief steps away from politics

Then-Point Douglas MLA Kevin Chief stepped down as the area’s provincial representative in the legislature effective at the beginning of the year, ending a run in the position that began in 2011. 

“(This job) has been humbling and I’ll never have a job where I have felt so proud to be part of and do,” Chief told the Times at the end of his time as MLA. “But at the same time, I have three young boys…and as the time that I was in this job I missed a lot of firsts. So I’m looking forward to being there for my boys. I’m excited for being a dad and being able to do that more with my wife.”

 

February: Dream Factory comes through for local family

 

A local family found out they’d be soaking in the sun during the dark of winter thanks to an organization that makes dreams come true for kids battling life-threatening illnesses.

The Podolsky family of the North End was looking forward to their trip to Waikiki, Hawaii when they spoke to The Times in early February. Ashlee Podolsky, daughter of Randy and Lisa, had recently received a kidney transplant from her father, and Dream Factory came through with the trip to give the family a needed break after their struggles.

Ashlee was nominated for the prize by one of her nurses.

“They were wonderful and so generous. It was a humbling experience to know they offer you all this,” Randy said at the time.

“She’s gone through so much and its nice to know they care for the child.”

 

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Seven Oaks man wins inaugural snow fort contest

 

Mike Lyseyko knows what he’s doing with snow, and he proved it during the first-ever Winnipeg Winter Fort Contest, presented by Bring It Now. 

A structural engineer by trade, Lyseyko’s fort was spacious and comfortable enough that he and friends were able to sit around a fire inside of it. With his victory came a multitude of prizes from businesses including Toys R Us, Piccolo Cucina and Enigma Escapes.

 

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SOSD faces challenges, finds success with bilingual program

Facing a dearth of instructors for its English-Ojibwa bilingual programming, Seven Oaks School Division held a meeting Feb. 28 to gauge interest in a language certification program that would help teachers learn Ojibwa and show them how to teach it.

The program had faced a number of challenges since its inception, but Rebecca Chartrand, the division’s lead for Aboriginal Education, said they had been finding success with the resources available.

“We don’t have a curriculum that we are working with, we are developing things as we go along,” she said.

 

March: Sunshine House volunteer wins $10K grant

Kristen Bourque, a registered nurse with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, received a $10,000 L’Oreal Paris Canadian Women of Worth grant for her work in the community.

Bourque, who runs the Street Feet initiative at Sunshine House, was nominated for the prize by a Sunshine House board member. Through Street Feet, Bourque provides care for the feet of street-involved people, something that was identified as an urgent need in the past by SH special projects manager Margaret Ormond.

“A lot of people are on their feet all day. They are walking around; they are wearing shoes that don’t fit them properly. They have frostbite and all kinds of messy things going on with their feet,” Bourque said after the grant was announced. “I can give them some education and background on how to properly look after their feet and then encourage them to come to me regularly so that I can always care for their feet.”

 

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Great year for the Gophers

The Garden City Fighting Gophers were big winners in March of 2017.

The GCC junior varsity boys basketball team captured their fourth consecutive Kildonan Peguis championship on March 1, defeating Kildonan East 84-40. Also that month, the GCC girls hockey team brought home the Winnipeg Women High School Hockey League’s Winnipeg Free Press Division  championship banner at MTS Iceplex March 14, defeating the J.H. Bruns Broncos 3-2 in the final.

 

April: That Mennonite Joke airs on Bravo Canada

Orlando Braun’s documentary-comedy That Mennonite Joke, produced by Prairie Boy Productions (which Braun founded) for MTS TV’s Stories From Home, was airing on Bravo Canada in April, and was available to view for free on the BravoFACT Youtube channel (https://youtu.be/NKxp-xtM8nc).

The winner of the Stories from Home Pitch Competition at Gimli Film Festival 2014, and winner of a BravoFACTUAL grant the same year, the production finds humour in the Mennonite culture through the perspective of comedian Matt Falk who hails from Niverville, Man.  

The film shows Falk preparing for his first live TV comedy special and researching how to include more of the Mennonite culture in his act. 

 

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Seven Oaks SD holds truth and reconciliation training

Seven Oaks School Division shone a light on Canada’s history before colonization.

The division hosted several truth-telling sessions, and provided the community with an opportunity to learn about Canada’s history through Indigenous peoples’ point-of-view as part of their Canada 150 celebration.

“Walk a Mile in Our Moccasins: Truth and Reconciliation Training” looks back at the lives of Indigenous people in Canada before European contact. It walks people through the history of colonization and settlement, exposing the effects of the Indian Act and the relocation of First Nations to reserves that according to Rebecca Chartrand, SOSD lead for Aboriginal Education, “isolated and segregated them from the rest of Canada…and limited their participation in mainstream society.”

University of Winnipeg’s Community-based Aboriginal Teacher Education Program students and SOSD educational assistants took adults and children through the basics of Indigenous teachings before Europeans come to Canada, following a script based on KAIROS Canada Blanket Exercise adapted to Manitoba’s geography.

 

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Youth-led rally invited people to support Muslim community

A Seven Oaks Met School student’s senior thesis project will do more than simply educate people.

Palvi Saini personally felt what it can be like to be a newcomer in Canada. She moved with her parents from India when she was eight years old and couldn’t say she felt welcomed at first.

Once she learned she could raise awareness of racism at We Day, she committed to researching social issues more in-depth and finding ways to make a change. Saini created educational videos, brochures and a website (http://palvisaini3030.wix.com/youth-for-justiceca) to share her knowledge and bring forth topics concerning racism.

Saini held a youth-led, city-wide rally, #FearLessLoveMore on May 17 to raise awareness of Islamophobia and to protest the United States’ travel ban on people from Muslim-majority countries. At the rally, participants were asked to sign a petition against the Canada-U.S. Safe Third Country Agreement, which requires refugee claimants to request protection in the first country they arrive. 

 

May: Fentanyl crisis remains present in northwest Winnipeg

R.B. Russell Vocational School made room on May 3 for a special presentation by the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba, where locals learned about the dangers of fentanyl, the abuse of which has resulted in numerous deaths both in Winnipeg and across the country.

At the meeting, attendees learned about the different forms the drug has been found in and the way it has affected communities.

 

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West St. Paul moves closer to achieving water goals

The RM of West St. Paul learned it would be able to complete Phase 3 of the RM’s Clean Water and Wastewater Project thanks to an influx of provincial funding.

The funding meant the project, which includes the construction of a new reservoir and pump station, costing approximately $6.5 million, could be finished at no additional cost to taxpayers.

“Clean water is critical to our community’s future. Clean water will allow West St. Paul to grow and provide opportunities for current and future generations,” mayor Bruce Henley told The Times.

 

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Byelection called in Point Douglas

In May, Premier Brian Pallister called a byelection for June to fill the seat in Point Douglas vacated by former MLA Kevin Chief. Five candidates emerge to vie for the role: Sabrina Koehn Binesi (Green); John Cacayuran (MLP); Gary Marshall (Manitoba Party); Jodi Moskal (PC); and Bernadette Smith (NDP).

 

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North Point Douglas activist named to Order of Manitoba

Longtime local activist and advocate Sel Burrows was named to the Order of Manitoba in 2017. Burrows, a local leader in his home of North Point Douglas, where he has lived for over a decade, has been behind multiple projects which worked to improve life for residents in the neighbourhood.

“It’s an honour I never dreamed about, and I wish there was a way I could share with all my partners that helped make Point Douglas a better place,” Burrows said of the honour. “It’s an ongoing battle as long as we have racism and poverty, kids not going to school, the issues of crime and stuff.”

 

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June: A spark of hope in the heart of the North End

In June, the Merchants Corner was nearing completion. The facility had been shut down in 2012 for being known for attracting illegal activities, and had been blamed for the decline of the North End area.

North End Community Renewal Corporation executive director Dawn Sands said that the upgrades to making the “Merch” into an educational centre would revitalize Selkirk Avenue.

“We really took the thought and feeling of what the community wanted. Their vision, and brought that to life,” she said. 

University of Winnipeg professor Jim Silver said it will be an opportunity for students in the North End to better access education.

“The curriculum of this department is consistent with the experience here in the inner city… I believe that there are all kinds of people in the North End who can succeed in university but they just won’t go to the main campus. It’s too big, too intimidating,” Silver said.

 

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CPT Extension West project advances

In an effort to hear back from the community regarding the Chief Peguis Trail Extension West, the City of Winnipeg hosted an open house on the project’s design in June.

Community members gave their feedback on the design, which has been revised since the first public meeting last year. The project is entering its preliminary design stage, which will include greater details of all elements of the project, such as land width and intersections.

A West Kildonan resident, Gene Kaban, said although this is a complex project, he thinks it will ease some of the north-south traffic in the area. 

“There’s a lot of traffic on Main, and it intersects from Henderson here. I think it will ease some of the north-south traffic,” Kaban said. “I find it would entice some people to take a good look at this area. I think it’s a nice part of Winnipeg. It’s got a history. So it’s a good thing. I’m glad there is the invitation to participate.”

 

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Smith wins byelection in Point Douglas

Bernadette Smith (NDP) was elected to the provincial legislature in Point Douglas in a mid-June byelection.

Smith beat four other candidates for the seat, receiving 1,534 votes, compared with her closest competitor, Manitoba Liberal candidate John Cacayuran, who received 1,006.

“We’re going to come in there strong and take this government on. We are going to fight for this community,” Smith said on election night.

 

July: Neechi Commons in dire straits

When Neechi Commons opened in March 2013, it brought with it a lot of hope and served as an economic anchor for the North End.

But what few people saw was that Neechi Commons was struggling to pay off more than $3 million in debt to its primary lender, Assiniboine Credit Union.

In July, the Commons was to go up for auction. However, no one stepped up to bid on the property.

“It’s a very large loan. That’s the main problem,” spokesperson Russ Rothney  said, adding it was a series of events that caused Neechi Commons to struggle to pay off the debt.

“For four years, we struggled with cash shortage on the operating front. It’s difficult for us to make an interest payment on the loan.”

 

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New watch group for the Maples

In July, the Maples was hoping to see a security boost with the help of volunteer group 204 Neighbourhood Watch. 

The group went on its first patrol on June 26 with the mentoring of Bear Clan Patrol members. Founder Leila Castro was part of a Facebook group for the area and noticed the many posts about theft and violent crimes and decided she wanted to do more for her neighbourhood.

“I said, this year, it cannot be that we are not going to do something about it and there’s a community we can leverage on, a huge community. So I made a call to ask volunteers to do something to respond to these security issues we see posted in our community’s social media.”

 

August: Community paints the bridge white

In the summer, volunteers helped give the Main Street Underpass a new look.

Crews from the Manitoba Métis Federation’s Core Pride, the North End BIZ, Take Pride Winnipeg, the Point Douglas Residents Committee Green Team, and Mama Bear Clan all played their part in helping paint the underpass.

This was the second phase of the Point Douglas Residents Committee project to make the walkway under the Canadian Pacific Railway tracks safer and less intimidating for pedestrians walking to and from the North End. 

 

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The best of cultural diversity was showcased at this year’s Folklorama festival, which kicked off its 48th season in August. 

During the first week of the festival, the Pearl of the Orient Philippine Pavilion (364 Dufferin Ave.) entertained its guests with traditional dances that defied gravity and left the audiences with mouths agape.

Meanwhile, the Croatian Pavilion “Zagreb” (101 Ridgecrest Ave.) featured paradisiac imagery of its 1,000 islands and performances of songs and dances from various regions of the European nation. 

 

September:  FC Northwest U15 girls win provincial title

FC Northwest U15 girls’ team members were on cloud nine after they won the Manitoba Soccer Association provincial championship in August by defeating Winnipeg Phoenix 7-0 at Ralph Cantafio Soccer Complex. 

Coach Laurie McIvor said the team was extremely prepared to play, both physically and emotionally. 

“We were in the finals last year, and emotionally we were ready to play (this year). We had a really good three-week build up to the provincials, and we were in really good shape and ready to go,” he said.

McIvor said the girls are very offensive-minded and play well to those capabilities, and that it was evident the girls were ready to win provincials in the six weeks before the competition. 

 

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Modern trades technology at GCC

Students at Garden City Collegiate are taking advantage of the latest technology thanks to a significant provincial investment to expand their shops class space.

In September, Minister of Education and Training Ian Wishart and the Seven Oaks School Division announced the official opening of the new and renovated wood, metal and electronics shops. 

The 4,000 square-feet of existing shop space was renovated to house three building trades programs including heating, ventilation and air conditioning, introduction to building trades and electrical. An additional 7,000 square-feet space will give the students hands-on opportunities to learn using equipment that is often found at high-level training facilities.

 

October:  Young man dies in hit and run on Main Street

A fatal collision on Oct. 10 brought much pain and suffering to not only a family, but an entire community.

Cody Severight, 23, died after being struck by a vehicle, allegedly driven by off-duty Winnipeg Police Const. Justin Holz, on Main Street near Sutherland Avenue while he was crossing the street around 8 p.m. 

Holz was arrested some time after the collision, almost seven kilometres north of the scene. Severight was taken to the hospital but succumbed to his injuries. 

The victim’s aunt, Nancy Gabriel, said  she was shocked by the incident and the fact the accused driver is a police officer. She said the police’s responsibility is to protect, “not killing people.”

Holz, 34, is an eight-year member of the service, assigned as a criminal investigator. He was charged with impaired driving causing death and failure to stop at the scene of the accident. He was released from custody on a promise to appear in court. He was later charged with dangerous driving causing death, dangerous driving and driving with a blood-alcohol level over .08

 

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Making a better, sustainable future for the little ones

Amber Trails Community School received an award for its sustainable efforts and visions in 2017.

On Oct. 13, school and community members celebrated the Amber Trails Community School appointment as Canada Green Building Council’s Greenest School in Canada 2017. The school was built in 2015 and designed to connect the community to its environment. The 78,000-square-foot school was developed with a focus on the community’s diversity and as a gathering place for different cultures. Principal Lorelei Bunkowsky said the school was built to be the centre of the community.

“We’ve worked very hard over the last three years to talk about the environmental impact of walking, biking and rolling to school and that has been embraced by the community,” she said.

 

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The 1977 St. John’s High School rugby team was recognized for its outstanding achievements this year.

On Oct. 13, 20 of the team’s 29 players and coaches gathered in Winnipeg to celebrate its official induction to the Manitoba Rugby Hall of Fame at The Gates on Roblin. 

In March 1977, the team was the first Manitoba squad to come back from the U.K. with a winning record after a five-game tour. 

The team also went undefeated at a Chicago high school rugby tournament, crushed the Benilde-St. Margaret’s College team from St. Paul’s, Minn., and won the Manitoba high school rugby championship, defeating Kelvin in the final.

 The Tigers finished the season with a record of 14 wins and two losses, scoring 514 points while allowing just 66.

 

November: Proposed police station centre of controversy

There was a lengthy and tense discussion at the North District Police Station community workshop held by the City on Nov. 14.

The City is planning to build a new North District Police Station to replace the existing station at 266 Hartford Ave., which deputy chief of operations Gord Perrier said is well overdue and doesn’t meet the current needs of the police service. 

Over 50 community members attended a public workshop at the North Centennial Community Centre, and the City had received over 150 surveys about the proposal as of Nov. 16.

The Old Exhibition Grounds were identified as one of the possible locations for the station and many area residents were opposed to the option. During the meeting, a majority of the attendees were explicit about their discontent with the idea of the City shrinking recreational and green space in the North End.

 

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For the first time, Winnipeg has a poet laureate, and the Winnipeg Arts Council selected a North Point Douglas resident for the honour.

On Nov. 28, the WAC appointed poet and teacher Di Brandt as Winnipeg’s first Poet Laureate. After a search within the local poetry community, Brandt was chosen for her expertise, talent and commitment to the arts.

“I’m excited that Winnipeg has established this position. Canada has had a poet laureate position, and there are many other poet laureate positions in other cities. Winnipeg has always been a real cultural centre in the country,” Brandt said. “Poetry has always been important to Winnipeg. It’s a great place to become a poet.”

 

December: Holidays to be spent at home

The eighth family involved in the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project got hold of the keys to their brand-new home in December.

Mengs and Lydia Belay and their two daughters, Hyabel, 11 and Rhema, 3, were the newest residents of the West Alexander neighbourhood. 

On Dec. 12, the Belay family moved into the home they helped build when former U.S. president Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn came to Winnipeg to lead the project that involved the construction of 21 homes.

“I’m overwhelmed by joy and being surrounded by lovely people from all foundations, especially when I see the firefighters,” Mengs said. “They are very hardworking people.”

 

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A West Kildonan resident was recognized for his significant efforts to lift up the North Winnipeg Nomads Football Club.

In 2017, the Nomads appointed Ron Havens a Nomad for Life after almost 30 years with the club. Havens got involved in 1990 after his oldest son, Paul, decided to join a friend in playing football with the team. 

However, volunteering wasn’t something the retired customs broker believed in when he was young.

“When I was a teenager, and even in my early 20s, before I got married, I thought ‘Why would you volunteer for something?’ If you’re going do extra work for somebody, you should get paid for (it),” Havens said. “But I got married and when I had kids, all of sudden it changed because I realized that if you want to get your sons and daughters involved with sports, the only way sports are going to exist in this country is through volunteering.”

 

 

— Staff