A look back on 2024

West Winnipeg

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 25/12/2024 (498 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

January: A St. James legend remembered

Tom Miller, who co-founded and then served as president of the St. James Junior Canucks for 37 years, died on Jan. 19 at the age of 85.

“We were all shocked and extremely saddened,” Justin Steeves, current Canucks president, said in a statement. “If it weren’t for Tom, we wouldn’t be where we are today. He turned the Junior Canucks into a very special organization. He shaped many young men and had a profound impact on my hockey path, as well as many others.”

The Canucks won a league championship in 1997-98 season, then again in 2021-22, 2022-23, and 2023-24. Away from the rink, Miller also enjoyed camping trips with his family during the summer. A casual golfer in his early years, he joined the Assiniboine Golf Club in 1983 and was involved with the club until his death.

February: River Heights resident raises funds, awareness for rare form of cancer

Feb. 15 is world cholangiocarcinoma day. After being diagnosed with the rare form of cancer, which originates in the bile duct, in 2022, Cynthia Mitchell, 43, took to raising funds and awareness for the disease so that more people are able to catch it — and receive proper treatment — like she did.

By the latter half of the month, Mitchell was able to raise over $16,000 in donations for the CancerCare Manitoba Foundation, as well as light up the Esplanade Riel bridge in St. Boniface and the Winnipeg sign at The Forks with brilliant green — a common way of commemoration in the U.S.

“An important reason for this fundraising … funding, research and programs in Manitoba, is that it allows people like me to stay here and have access to these treatments. Everyone deserves to have the opportunity that I have. I can’t make that happen, but it’s a start,” Mitchell said.

As of November, Mitchell has brought the cancer under control with the help of oral chemotherapy, which has given her more valuable time with her husband and two kids. At press time (Dec. 2024), her donation page sat at $22,552 raised.

March: New horror bookstore opens in St. James

Raven’s End Books opened its doors at 1859 Portage Ave. in sunny St. James earlier this year. While books that run the macabre gamut from demons, zombies, ghouls, the unspeakable and more are the store’s primary focus, owner and (so far) lone-employee Chelsea McKee-Trenchard envisions the space as a community hub, as well.

“We’re hoping our impact is more than books,” McKee-Trenchard said. “It’s a horror-based bookstore, but with a focus on building community and doing a lot of outreach responding to the niche market that’s not really that niche, in my opinion.”

From craft nights to vendors using the space, book launches and queer book fairs, the night sky is the limit for Raven’s End.

April: Women’s Musical Club of Winnipeg celebrates 130 years

As the snow melts away, the early spring season sets the stage for the arts. This year was no exception.

In April, the Women’s Musical Club of Winnipeg commemorated 130 years since its foundation. The group, which originally consisted of just six women, predated Unicity and began as a way for Winnipeg’s original female residents to get together and practice classical music. in 1894. Now, it’s a beneficial charity group for everyone, not just women, funding young Winnipeggers training in classical music through annual its competitions, scholarships and performing opportunities.

On April 13, the milestone was celebrated with a special concert, which took place at The Leaf. Tomson Highway, a recipient of a WMC scholarship 50 years ago — in 1974 — was the headliner.

“We’re looking forward to maybe another 130 more years,” said WMC archivist Mary Lynn Duckworth.

May: Greenway School students plant 49 new trees

On May 8, 49 new trees were planted by students on the grounds at Greenway School (390 Burnell St.) to create the Greenway School Community Forest, a dynamic green space for the school and community. In the evening the students, families, and community members gathered for a barbecue to celebrate and plant trees together.

“Everyone’s excited,” said Nic Skrabek, a Grade 4 to 6 teacher and member of the school’s education for sustainable development committee.

The new trees are much-needed, Skrabek noted, as the majority of the mature elms on the school property and throughout the surrounding neighbourhood have been removed or are marked for removal due to Dutch Elm disease. The Greenway School Community Forest will “promote the uptake of green infrastructure in the city, helping to reduce heat island effect, improve stormwater management, mitigate flood risks, improve air quality, and elevate the physical and mental well-being of Winnipeg’s residents.”

The project was spearheaded by the school’s education for sustainable development committee and funded by the Green Action Centre, with support from Green Communities Canada’s Living Cities Canada Fund, an initiative which will support 28 community greening projects in seven provinces across the country this year. The project also received support from the Manitoba Eco-Network, West End Resource Centre, Trees Winnipeg, and Green Drop.

June: RAMWC and MITT introduce interactive wind tunnel

In June, the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada collaborated with students at the Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology to develop a new, interactive wind tunnel for display at the museum. It is fully functional, 12-foot-long, and took over 500 hours to complete.

The tunnel, which was constructed by students under the watchful eye of RAMWC employees, aims to give youth an up-close-and-personal look at how wind affects aircraft as they move through the air, as well as how these factors play into how planes are engineered before they even take flight.

Beyond the educational component, youth co-ordinators at RAMWC expressed hope that seeing turbulence up close would help kids overcome the common fear of flying.

“It really makes things concrete for students,” said Marc Neufeld, an educational co-ordinator at the museum.

July: Winnipeg Trails introduces language tables at The Forks

In July, visitors at The Forks were welcomed to a free language opportunity three times a week.

For the first time, Winnipeg Trails hosted a walk-up language table, where participants were welcome to practice Indigenous languages such as Cree (Inininow) and Ojibwa (Anishinaabemowin) in the form of games, lessons, and immersive conversation.

Since many Indigenous languages are often learnt through spoken word, the tables provided a way for people — both fluent and not — to practise certain dialects and learn from one another in a supportive environment.

”Winnipeg is such a hub, and has always been a hub, for Indigenous people,” said Shyla Niemi, language table co-ordinator. “There’s always been different dialects here, so it’s been a challenge. We always have to be respectful that people have other words. And we don’t want to correct them on how they’re saying it just because it’s different from what we know.”

The tables were set up and available throughout the summer season.

August: DASCH turns 50

On Aug. 20, the DASCH Foundation commemorated 50 years in operation.

For half a century, the registered charity has been “a driving force” in caring for the needs and advocating for the rights of adults living with intellectual disabilities in Winnipeg.

Since 1974, DASCH has provided community-based day services, around-the-clock support, respite services, home share opportunities, and more. It has also built a community where people with disabilities can feel secure and supported, as well as a network for easy access to social and educational resources.

“What we have, at DASCH Foundation, is a heartfelt gratitude from everyone who has been part of this journey, and we look forward to continuing to create a bright future together,” said Amit Bindra, a board member, at the anniversary party.

September: Riverview Ashland’s new forest nursery program off and running

In September, Riverview Ashland Child Care’s new forest nursery program launched, with 12 half-day spots for children between three and five years of age.

Esther McNairnay, an early childhood educator II with 20 years experience who runs the program, has used the woods around the neighbourhood for regular outings with Riverview Ashland Child Care children for years. The benefits of being outdoors and spending time in community were key to inspiring her to establish the forest nursery program under Riverview Ashland’s umbrella.

“Children who have trouble with sensory overload inside can really get down to their work out here,” she said. “Some kids find it easier to concentrate with their feet off the ground while they’re balancing. They can do that here. Some kids find when they’re excited their voices are loud. In the woods, that’s not as big a problem as it is within walls. You can’t have children bouncing off the walls if there are no walls.”

October: A passion for fitness, a love of community

In October, Chantelle Harder, the owner of Harder HIIT Fitness, talked about going the extra mile in helping to create an accessible, inclusive fitness journey for the community. Harder HIIT Fitness is a not-for-profit community gym specializing in 30-minute high-intensity interval training — HIIT — sessions in a group setting, guided by certified coaches.

Located inside Garden City Community Centre/Seven Oaks Sportsplex (725 Kingsbury Ave.), the initiative was born out of a collaboration between Harder and Garden City CC’s general manager Margie Reis.

Harder, 46, said she’s relishing operating a dual-purpose fitness facility that not only benefits her existing customers, but also hosts a free community gym.

“We love it here,” Harder said, recently. “The community club has been wonderful, and we’re loving the bigger, brighter space.”

Harder was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022, and doctors discovered it had metastasized to her brain earlier this year.

“At that time, I realized life is short, and I wanted to do something positive in the community,” Harder said.

November: Winnipeg Boys Choir reaches out to alumni in 100th anniversary season

In November, as the Winnipeg Boys’ Choir tuned up for two upcoming Christmas concerts, and key players reflected on its longevity, organizers were also hoping to turn the collective songbook back a few pages and hear from members of the choir’s alumni in this landmark season.

The 2024-25 season marks the 100th anniversary of the choir, a significant milestone in Winnipeg’s choral community. Believed to be Canada’s oldest independent boys choir, the group — currently comprised of more than 50 members — is guided by longtime artistic director Carolyn Boyes and conductors Albert Bergen and Spencer Duncanson.

“I feel proud and grateful that we’ve kept our organization going,” said Boyes, who’s been the choir’s artistic director for 27 years. “We’ve had our ups and downs and ebbs and flows in terms of membership, and we’re proud we’ve persevered.”

As well as holding the recent concerts, organizers are appealing to alumni to lend them any memorabilia they might have to be displayed in a memorabilia gallery at the choir’s anniversary celebration weekend in May 2025.

Boyes said one of the “magical” elements of the choir is that, loosely speaking, it time-stamps the lifespan of a young singing voice before adolescence takes over and voices change and become deeper.

December: Couple Chef establishing itself in northwest Winnipeg

The owner of a recently opened restaurant is bringing his own sense of style and taste to the table, as showcased earlier this month.

Nelson Olegario owns Couple Chef Restaurant and Catering Services, which is located at 1199 Fife St. and opened its doors in August. Olegario runs the business with his wife, Arlene, who is a key member of the operation, especially in the kitchen. The couple previously ran a restaurant of the same name at the Nor-Villa Hotel in North Kildonan.

Now, Couple Chef is located in a large, eye-catching building that has housed a number of enterprises and organizations through the years, including a steakhouse and a tea room.

“We’re located in the centre of the city’s Filipino community,” Olegario said, noting the restaurant serves a mix of food from both the Philippines and Canada.

“When we were at the Nor-Villa, we served a lot of seniors, and we had a menu that tailored to that population with smaller portions and prices to reflect that,” he said.

“Now we’re combining the best of Filipino and Canadian food,” he added. “Some of our former customers now drive here from North Kildonan to visit us.”