Lifestyles 55 2024 04 April

MAniTOBA Lifestyles bringing us together as a province

Dorothy Dobbie

You will see that there is a change on the masthead of this month’s Lifestyles 55. We have added the label, “Manitoba”.

As most of our dedicated readers will know, we have always tried to include northern and rural Manitoba stories and features along with the Winnipeg content, but it was done in an ad hoc way without a plan.

That has changed. I feel strongly that the strength of Manitoba is in its cohesion as a united province and that we need to have a strong united voice. We are not a collection of disassociated communities. “Perimeter vision”, which exists both ways, is limiting and harmful to our collective future. Every part of this province produces amazing people with incredible skills, and it is in this diversity that we find our strength.

Everywhere I go in my travels, I run into Manitobans who are or who have made a mark on the wider world. Everything thing I have done on the national scene shows Manitobans pulling above our weight, coming to the front of the line, being respected and making contributions that outstrip those from other places. Manitobans shine in all communities, wherever they settle. This is recognized. When the topic arises, we laugh and say it is something in the water, but wherever it comes from, we make a difference.

I believe we are shaped by our environment. In this amazing province, there is a vast diversity of conditions, both physical and psychological. In the north, we have the adventurer, the intrepid types who love to overcome the

Doyle Piwniuk

The biggest issue that we face in Western and SouthCentral Manitoba is the depopulation of our rural communities. Turtle Mountain is facing a relocating of young people to larger centres such as Winnipeg, Brandon, and Morden/Winkler to attend post-secondary institutions. They go seeking training for careers but in many cases they can’t find opportunities in their home community to utilize those skills so they don’t return.

Another reason for depopulation in the western region is that farms are getting bigger and bigger and there are fewer farm families to support the small communities. Growing up on a farm in rural Manitoba,

Segregated

Funds make wealth distribution for beneficiaries a simple and painless task

Tom Hyde

In Canada there are two basic financial acts the affect us all – The Bank Act and The Insurance Companies Act. I am not a lawyer and I do not give legal advice, but we can all find this on the internet, and you will see approximately 1,000 articles in each act if you are so inclined to check them out. It is complex information, and we need our friends at the law firms and accounting firms to keep it straight. But is it always necessary to have things complicated when your partner passes away?

The

Peace Garden.

IF YOU ARE A SENIOR. . . . . .

You should consider having the following in place

Will

The preparation of a will may seem like a daunting task, however, it is essential to ensure that your property is disposed of according to your wishes upon your death. If you pass away without a valid will, the law states what is to happen to your estate.

Power of Attorney

A power of attorney is a document which appoints an individual to handle your affairs in the event you become mentally incapable of making your own decisions. Nothing prevents you from continuing to make your own decisions while you are still competent. A power of attorney is an extremely valuable document to have in place in case anything happens to you which affects your mental ability, such as a stroke, coma or dementia.

Health Care Directive (Living Will)

A health care directive, commonly called a living will, is a document which appoints an individual to make decisions with regard to your health care only, while you are alive but unable to express your decisions yourself. This document is distinct from a power of attorney and deals only with health care decisions such as whether life sustaining treatments, such as CPR or blood transfusion, should be continued or withdrawn.

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of weather and isolation, and this includes both Indigenous folks and newcomers.

In the south, we have the those who husband the land, the folks who have had to be industrious and creative to grow our food, raise our livestock, and live with the land which can be giving and unforgiving both. This breeds a certain ingenuity that grows generation by generation.

In the City, we have had to learn to build integrated relationships from the many diverse peoples that have moved here over the past 150 years. We have melded and blossomed, learning from each other, creating new communities that have talents that are still growing.

We have a very creative an intelligent city-dwelling Indigenous population that is just beginning to come into its own, practicing and disseminating its many talents to the 21st century world.

All this diversity makes us strong, but only if we come together in understanding and collaboration to put all the talents to work for the future. To be successful requires communication to learn and understand each other, to share our success, our concerns, our challenges and to draw on each other to make life better for all.

Pegasus Publications is a tiny publisher, but we know it is up to us to try and make a difference. Others are listening and if all things go well, we

will be able accelerate this initiative to the benefit of all. We are not there yet, but I don’t believe in waiting for fate to happen. So we have begun.

In this issue, you will see a new financial feature from Tom Hyde in Portage La Prairie who has some wonderful advice from his many years of working in the insurance industry in rural Manitoba. You will also continue to hear from Winnipeg’s Romel Dhalla, whose experiences are similar but based on a different market. Gabrielle Swan will keep us up to date on the transformational changes in The Pas, and Doyle Piwniuk, the MLA from Turtle Mountain, will bring us detailed d reports on what is happening in that vital southwest corner. His analysis in this issue of the critical changes to rural development and populations is insightful and useful in our understanding. Also, he reveals some of the amazing companies that are springing out of our rural roots.

This is just the beginning. We will be gradually expanding our circulation to take in more communities both in print and digitally. We are looking for more input from all over so if you have a story to tell, a need to share (and I don’t care what your political stripe is), I would love to hear from you.

Call me at 204 940 2716 or email me at dorothy@pegasuspublications. net.

LETTERS

Win wants dingle pies!

Dear Ian, After reading your article on dingle pie, I searched to see if anyone in Winnipeg makes those delicious pies. NO LUCK.

I emailed Dorothy asking if either you or she knew of a place I could purchase, some or if you know someone who would be willing to bake and take orders.

My father was originally from Liverpool (before he came to Wpg because he heard the streets here were paved with gold!). We were born here and grew up in The North End with my dear Dad roasting lamb every Sunday.

I never was lucky enough to taste your Gramma’s Dingle pies but I sure would love to.

Win Blahey

Do you make dingle pies? Can anyone help Win? Let us know and we will put you in touch!

Dorothy@pegasuspublications.net.

Good for Ken Cudmore

Very nice tribute to Ken Cudmore. He deserves as much credit as possible for the amazing place that Fort Whyte has become. It really is a jewel in our city.

Dilly Mann, Winnipeg

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CONTRIBUTORS

Angela Birdsell, Gary Brown, Tim Chapman, Romel Dhalla, Dorothy Dobbie, Shauna Dobbie, Rick Duerksen, Stefano Grande, Tom Hyde, Jim Ingebrigtsen, Myron Love, Fred Morris, Doyle Piwniuk, Wayne Weedon.

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Social media: Good or evil?

According to reports from the traditional media outlets, social media is the root of all evil in Canada. Supposedly, we “stupid people” on the outside of the news and newsmakers, the academics and “experts”, are not discriminating enough to make up our own minds about what is true and what is not true or worthy of consideration.

Therefore, we need people to “curate” the news, to decide what we shouldn’t hear, to shut down what we shouldn’t say, and to ensure that we all think the “right” way. We need to know that this is why social media is so fraught with danger, especially to our young children – right? Those impressionable young minds can be bent in any way indiscriminating people choose – and those indiscriminating people may just include us “stupid and ill informed” parents. The kids might even end up with contrary opinions!

What a bunch of malarkey.

The current narrative that supports widespread powers for controlling what is said and thought and posted on social media is terrifying in its ultimate implications. If there is only one way to think, one way to express oneself, one way to conduct oneself, democracy is doomed.

In my view, social media is the most liberating thing to have come along since the invention of the printing press. It gives everyone a voice, just as when populations were smaller, everyone had a voice around the campfire, at council meetings, and in community town halls.

Newspapers were created to print the NEWS, but the news can be misinterpreted, shaped, massaged and deliberately corrupted – and it has always been that way. Back at the turn of the 19th century, there was great concern about “fake news”, some even blaming it for the Spanish War.

Despite this, ordinary people seemed to be able, in the main, to determine the truth from fiction, the reasonable for the unreasonable. And I believe today is no different. If you don’t like what you read or see on social media, discard it or get off the platform. You are not being forced to listen. If you talk to your kids and have discussions, they will form the same ability to think and be critical about the information they come across.

The idea that some “higher power” can think for us is so unbelievably contrary to a free and open society that it is hard for those who were brought up think for themselves to accept. If we do accept this, we cannot be far from the kind of abuses that occurred in Russia during the days of the Iron Curtain, or in China during the Cultural Revolution.

Social media has its trolls, and they may not play nice. There are abusive people and those who deliberately set out to target those they disagree with. They deserve to be dumped from your feed or even just ignored. On Facebook, you can block them. You can report them, too. Or you can just ignore their poison and carry on.

I like to debate. I like to hear what those who disagree with me have to say. Sometimes it alters my thinking or adds a new dimension. I also like to make my point and maybe it does a little of the same to those I debate with. Most are respectful and if not, well, out the window they go. You can tell me whatever you like. Just don’t name-call me or my fellow posters, no matter what their opinion.

As for government attempts to censor us, to moderate what goes up on social media, that is an outright abuse of power. The license we give legislators does not extend to thought control.

Period!

Heather Stefanson MLA for Tuxedo

Most of us are still trying to define our relationship with social media these days.

Dorothy Dobbie

The visceral hate of Donald Trump

On the news, in my Facebook feed, on the street, all I hear is hate and vitriol against Donald Trump.

Interestingly, I also heard it during the election period when he won in 2016 but had no track record to rail against. I was shocked that when I tried to correct in his favour an erroneous comment made online about something he was reported as saying – but didn’t say (I rewatched the speech it was pulled from) – I got my fingers soundly slapped by my counterpart on the opposite side of the page.

It was an ominous warning, telling me to be careful about posting anything nice about this obviously “evil” man and how it could get me into trouble. I thought it was funny at the time and made some offhand comment, but what Shauna was saying from Toronto seemed to have already solidified into a Canada-wide assessment of a man who had not yet even served in office.

To set the record straight, Mr. Trump is not someone I would like relish as a bosom buddy, indeed, I would probably find him tedious. He displays a narcissistic personality that is unpleasant and no doubt very difficult to deal with. He craves attention. He is bombastic. He is capricious. He often gets things wrong because he boils them down to their simplest denominator. He is entitled. He thinks the presidency is more powerful than it is and that this power is his to deploy. I get all that.

accord with North Korea, signed the North American Free Trade Agreement and so on.

It wasn’t all peaches and cream, but when you try to research the direct policy harms, you end up with a bunch of “coulda’s”. So where does he really stand? Law and order? Not gun control. He is clearly for the death penalty and against abortion and, perhaps not surprisingly, wanted tighter defamation laws. But he voted to support medical marijuana and believes that legalizing drugs would take the crime out of the criminal acts because he says we are losing the war on drugs. He is right.

But I do not get the visceral reactions to him. Recently I asked a gardening friend who apparently detests the man, what triggers his dislike. He retorted with a long litany of Trump evils, among them that he wants to create a fascist state in the US because he admires dictators (Hmmm. Seems to me so does our own Prime Minister . . .), that he will get rid of social security and Medicare, and that he hid a whole bunch of top-secret documents. He adds that Trump will assist Putin in attacking those who don’t pay their 2% of defense spending as agreed to be part of NATO (another friend believes he will leave NATO), and he adds more predictions about those documents and what Trump meant to do with them.

Now I respect my garden friend. He is smart and experienced. So, I must conclude that he sincerely believes these things. He did not note the number of charges laid against the man, none of which have so far stuck. And then there is that horrendous, wealth shattering fine against his business in New York – that just smacks of a vendetta judgement. But the evolution of Trump’s sins is quite interesting, moving from the building of a wall to keep illegals out of the country to this new litany of offences.

There were 91 criminal charges laid against him. Really?

I mean, doesn’t it seem just a little over the top?

If Mr. Trump were as evil as charged, I am very surprised that this did not show in his first term in office, where many calmer heads feel he did some things very right, especially as regards to managing the economy, reforming the Tax Act (and cutting worker’s taxes, increasing their take home pay), passing several bills in support of Indigenous Americans, made cruelty to animals a federal felony, actually beefed up Obamacare, supported Israel, tried to establish a kind of detente with Russia, tried to reach some sort of

Trump for President?

Let me be unequivocal in my answer to this question: No.

Dobbie vs Dobbie

If you can get past all of the stuff about private payments to hookers (1), about keeping classified documents at home (2), about habitual lying (3), about his bizarre response to the pandemic (4), and his two impeachments – and that’s a very big if – you have to consider the January 6, 2021, activities in Washington DC.

There are a few reasons that otherwise thoughtful people will support a second Trump presidency. Some think disliking Trump would be bad for the Canadian Conservative Party. I see no reason for that; you can like apples without liking oranges. Some believe the repeated lies that he tells because he stays on message so well that they seem to be true. And some people are just contrarians.

What about insurrection? I watched what happened when those idiots stormed the White House. Most of them seemed to think it was a big joke that got out of hand. It was stupid and irresponsible, and Trump should have told them to step before they started. Instead, he watched and chortled, childishly, on the sidelines. Dumb! Dumb! Dumb! But a full-on insurrection? No.

Trump is complex person who is certainly not the Hollywood hero President, but I cannot see evidence to support the visceral hate for him in some quarters or that he is a deadly menace to the United States and the world. And it appears that many Americans feel the same way.

Shortly after Trump became president, I attended a speech by our friend Shannon Sampert, who had been a media observer in the US during the election. Her assessment was one not just of shock and horror but disbelief that the man had been elected in view of “public opinion”. That surprised me because, from what I could see, he was being widely supported. So here we go again. He appears to be very widely supported but the press is in deep denial.

Just to make it clear, I have a similar set of views about Mr. Biden. He is not the incompetent, senile man they make him out to be, He is a healthy 80+ year old who may lose a word or two or have the wrong one come to the tip of his tongue, but I saw him speak in Ottawa to the House of Commons and I saw a relaxed, warm, friendly guy who had some interesting things to say. He may be a little too down-home and left-of-centre for my taste, but that does not make him an idiot as characterized on the other side.

What does bother me is the narrative surrounding and polarizing public opinion about these two men. It is harmful to the United States and by association to Canada. The vitriol is undermining the country, eroding its democracy, and undermining America’s important stabilizing force in the world.

That the traditional media is counselling Americans to hate one of the contenders for president is astonishing. Their fervor is even greater in Canada. This is not healthy, people! A bit more balance is warranted for all sorts of reasons.

So, do I hate Donald Trump? No. Do I hate what is going on around him? Very, very much.

Some of my friends who are more sympathetic to Trump have suggested that Trump had noting to do with the riots. Let’s just have a look at the evidence. On the day of the Capitol attack, Trump held a rally near the White House where he reiterated claims of a stolen election (5) and made statements that incited the crowd. For instance, he told his supporters to “fight like hell” and encouraged them to march to the Capitol to give Republicans the “boldness they need to take back our country.” Which is pretty much what they did or tried to do.

Now, Mom and I don’t read each other’s stories for this segment before writing our own, but I’m pretty sure I know what she’s going to say for this one: “He’s just an old blow hard.”

I don’t accept that as exoneration. The President of the United States is a very powerful position that can affect people all over the world. There are some weak ones and some great ones, but most of them have something to offer, something that makes about half of the American populace put their faith in them, even if you disagree with it.

Then Trump spent the afternoon watching the riots on television. He did not call a press conference or head to the Capitol with a megaphone to say, “Stop killing everything we hold dear!” He did tweet a few times, saying things like “Stay peaceful,” and urging the rioters to respect law and order. At no point did he condemn their actions. He also tweeted: “These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously and viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long.”

Really? Sacred landslide election victory?

Now, if you do believe that the generally accepted outcome of the 2020 election is not an accurate representation of the feelings of the people or how they voted – if you believe the election was stolen in any way, give your head a shake and reread endnote 5 below. I went looking for evidence that it was rigged; there is really nothing credible. Only what Donald Trump says.

And this is part of what bothers me so much about Lying Donald Trump (to borrow his method of referring to people). In order to make a case that he is unsuitable as president, sensible people need to go back and refute all of his outlandish claims. What a time suck.

This candidate, though… this candidate is his own personal circus. And what’s worse is that he had four years in power, trying to subvert the entire system in his favour, followed by four years to think about how to succeed where he failed.

I don’t want to see what Trump will do if he goes back to Washington, this time prepared.

Notes:

1. Stormy Daniels has said Trump paid her “hush money” through his lawyer Michael Cohen. Cohen later admitted it and was sentenced to three years in prison over that and other dealings with Trump.

2. Fifteen boxes of presidential records, including classified documents and some highly classified documents, were retrieved from one of Trump’s homes in 2023. Presidential records are considered the property of the US government.

3. Several fact-checking organizations, including PolitiFact, FactCheck.org, and The Washington Post’s Fact Checker, have found that Trump lies frequently. The Washington Post counted up 30,573 lies during his four years in office.

4. He started by shutting down public briefings from the Centers for Disease Control and followed up by recommending goofy cures.

5. Multiple recounts in several states, extensive legal challenges, audits, and investigations, including those conducted in battleground states where the margins were slim, have confirmed the integrity and outcomes of the election. Courts at various levels, including those with judges appointed by both Republican and Democratic presidents, found no evidence of widespread fraud that could change the election results.

Dorothy Dobbie

Shauna Dobbie

remembering nathan Wiseman, Winnipeg’s first certified pediatric

surgeon, one of the last of the old-school doctors

Ihad gotten to know Nathan over the past few years through my friendship with his wife Eva, a fellow (sister?) author and journalist. I found Nathan to be outgoing and welcoming. Just over a year ago, I took the opportunity to interview him on the occasion of his retirement from head of the Division of Pediatric Surgery at the Children’s Hospital looking back over his distinguished career that had spanned over 50 years.

Nathan Wiseman was totally dedicated to his patients. He was on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, even when he was on holiday. “I used to have trouble finishing a round of golf (he was an ardent golfer) as I would get calls while on the course," he recounted.

to work on a research project with Dr. Colin Ferguson, the city’s first pediatric surgeon, who became the young medical student’s mentor and role model.

“Even when we were away on holiday, I still received the occasional call. We were in Hawaii once when I got a call from a colleague who wanted me to operate on his daughter. He was prepared to wait until I returned home, and I did the surgery right after we got back.”

Nathan was a fourth generation Winnipegger who grew up in West Kildonan. He noted that he was inspired to pursue a career in medicine by the examples of his own pediatrician Dr. Harry Medovy and respected north end Winnipeg pediatrician Dr. Percy Barsky.

There was also the influence of his peer group. “A lot of my friends were oriented towards medical careers,” he recalled.

Nathan was accepted into the University of Manitoba Faculty of Medicine in 1964 when he was still 19 years old. “I was the youngest of 70 students in my class,” he said.

While enrolled in medicine- during the summers, he had the opportunity

Nathan completed his medical degree in 1968 and then proceeded to specialize in pediatric surgery, a journey that took him to Boston Children’s Hospital which is affiliated with Harvard University. He was trained there by world famous pediatric surgeons, even a Nobel Prize winner. On his return to Winnipeg in 1975, he became our city’s first certified pediatric surgeon.

“I had to go to Vancouver to take the certification exam,” he recalled. “Colin Ferguson went with me. He was my examiner and it was the first year the exam was offered.”

Up to that point, he explained, surgery on children was performed by general surgeons who took an interest in children. “But there are many specific surgical conditions for which children require a specialist’s approach.”

Nathan served as head of the Division of Pediatric Surgery at the Children’s Hospital of Winnipeg for 14 years. He was an associate professor at the University of Manitoba Medical School who taught medical students and surgical residents, did clinical research, published widely, and served as President of the Canadian Association of Pediatric Surgeons. In addition, he was an examiner of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and was a governor of the American College of Surgeons.

Over the years, he estimated that he had performed tens of thousands of surgeries of all kinds at the Children’s Hospital of Winnipeg and at St. Boniface General Hospital. He said that he loved to operate. He especially en-

Segregated funds are where you can invest your RSP, RRIF, LIRA, LIF, TFSA or nonregistered investments but they are life insurance contracts. That means they have features that can greatly benefit a family at a time of greatest turmoil, stress, and raw emotion – the death of a loved one.

The ease with which assets are distributed to beneficiaries has been a topic I have been emphasizing with clients for years. But even though I have known that, still, it doesn’t stick with you until you have been through it. We are privileged as advisors because we can learn so much from our clients.

It is a rewarding experience to work with a family that is dealing with the loss of a parent knowing that the outcome will be exactly as the deceased wanted it to be. No interference, no delays, no fees, and no unnecessary erosion of value of the assets. I recently settled a significant sized estate by getting three signatures from the primary beneficiary. It was a fifteen-minute business meeting and then we spent

joyed the intricacies of operating on tiny newborn infants. He also found surgery for malignancies in children challenging and rewarding. He was a gifted surgeon and was also known for his kindness towards his young patients and their parents.

He never forgot a case. He recalled that he often would run into former patients, now adults, and their parents who would come up to him to express their gratitude for surgeries he did years before. “Dr. Wiseman, you saved my life when I was a kid,” they would often declare.

He commented that he appreciated that he had the opportunity to encounter a much wider range of uncommon children’s medical problems than do pediatric surgeons working in larger centres where the workload is more broadly spread.

However, even for a man so enthusiastic about is work that he changed “TGIF”, (thank goodness it’s Friday) to “TGIM”, (Monday), the end of his surgical career was nearing its end.

While he continued to practice longer than most, if not all, of his contemporaries, he retained his skill, vigour and strength (presumably helped by many years on the links).

a half hour talking about how great it was to have known the deceased. The beneficiary was in disbelief at how simple it was to settle the distribution of a lifetime of work. “Everyone should know how this works” he said.

This is a simple example, so how can this be even a greater benefit? Let’s consider some examples.

The blended family. Divorce or death often leads to second relationships and the intertwining of financial assets. The prospect of a bright future together is wonderful; however, it can mean complicated situations exist keeping the family money intact. A lot of people in this situation want to keep what’s theirs in their family. Segregated funds can help.

A black sheep. Multiple beneficiaries do not always get along. A contract holder can have a separate and private distribution to a particular beneficiary that may not be cooperative with or approachable by an executor.

Capacity to manage. Life isn’t always easy, and

On Friday, October 7, 2022, a great number of his medical colleagues, nurses, family and friends celebrated him at a retirement party marking the end of almost half century’s full-time service at the Children’s Hospital of Winnipeg.

The event was held at the Manitoba Club. “It was a lovely evening,” said the guest of honour. “I had a wonderful time, and it was heartening to see so many colleagues who were my team mates as we looked after children together.”

He delivered a heartfelt speech. “I had so much to say, so many people to thank, most of all my wonderful wife, Eva. I couldn’t have done it without her wholehearted support and understanding through the years.”

“A dear friend of mine,” he continued, “who died too young, once remarked that the longer you continue to work, the less time you have left after you stop working.”

Nathan Wiseman never completely stopped. He continued to go into the hospital from time to time when he was needed and operated part-time in his daughter’s clinic.

(Daughter Dr. Marni Wiseman is a dermatologist in @Winnipeg and son Dr. Sam Wiseman is an endocrine and cancer surgeon in Vancouver.)

With more time on his hands, Nathan was looking forward to more golf and travel with Eva and was considering writing his own lighthearted book provisionally titled “Memoir of a Pediatric Surgical Curmudgeon.”

Despite his busy schedule, Nathan found time in more recent years to curl, study Yiddish, and immersed himself in collecting golf antiques and writing golf poetry. He was also a skilled woodworker. Not only was he an outstanding surgeon, he could fix anything.

Sadly, he did not have much time to enjoy his retirement years. Last December 13, three days before his 79th birthday, he died suddenly. His legacy includes a generation of children whose lives he had saved.

many families are dealing with beneficiaries that lack the necessary acuity to handle an inheritance. Therefore, some people choose to limit the inheritance if it’s just going to be slid into a slot machine or used to buy alcohol or drugs. The privacy aspect may be important.

Isolated beneficiaries. The world is a small place these days. Family members can be living in faraway lands. Most insurance companies now allow electronic signatures. This is not unique to insurance of course, but the benefits of a simpler estate settlement are amplified if a beneficiary is living in Tibet.

“What is the downside,” you ask? There needs to be an insurance agent involved; just kidding. But there are, generally, slightly higher MERs and management fees over other investment options. A lot of people feel it is worth it.

The information in this article is not intended to be legal or tax advice. You should contact your legal and tax advisors for proper legal and tax advice.

Tom Hyde CFP Bag CAFA is an advisor under HUB Financial in Canada and operates Pallister Financial, a financial services company in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba.

Myron Love

Nathan Wiseman.

Western Glove Works was pioneer in Winnipeg garment industry

One of the wonderful things about the people of Winnipeg,” observes Bob Silver, the longtime president of Western Glove Works, “is that there is a modesty about us along with a collective determination to succeed. As my friend, Sandy Riley, pointed out, after Winnipeg lost its reputation as the Chicago of the North, this community continued to persist because of the collective will of the people who choose to live here.”

Myron Love Celebrating 150 years of Winnipeg

And, for more than 100 years, the Silver Family and Western Glove Works have played a prominent role in our community’s success.

In the fall of 2022, the company hosted an evening at the Metropolitan Centre to celebrate GWG’s 100th birthday.

Silver reports that 50 to 60 company executives attended from all the company’s branches throughout North America. “We had some speeches, some pictures, good food and entertainment,” he says. “Mostly, it was an opportunity for our associates in all of our offices to get together.”

Silver notes that it was his grandfather, Sol Silver, who founded the company, in 1921, in partnership with brothers-in-law, (S.B. and A.J. uncles) Nitikman. “My grandfather had a relative who operated a general store in Winkler,” Silver recounts. “At that time, Winnipeg was known as a wholesale city –supplying western Canadians with goods manufactured in eastern Canada. Shipping was expensive. My grandfather was one of the first to discern the benefit of manufacturing products in Winnipeg.”

The family opened Western Glove Works in the Exchange district at the corner of McDermott and Adelaide. The initial product line was gloves. “In a winter climate such as ours, gloves were important for people who worked outside,” Silver points out. “Within a few years, our company added overcoats and work wear and, later, casual wear.”

Silver observes that from the beginning, the garment industry in Winnipeg was dominated by Jewish businessmen, perhaps because Jewish immigrants were barred from certain other fields and professions in those years. Bob Silver’s father, Ed, for example joined the family business in the mid1940s out of university.

“My dad would have liked to become a doctor,” he recalls, “but, at that time, there was a strict quota limiting the number of Jewish students (as well as other descendants of east Europeans) in medical

school.”

Bob Silver himself was happily living in an agricultural co-op on the West Coast, in 1973, when his father died suddenly at the age of 50. “Initially, I had no interest in going into the business,” he recalls. “I agreed though to help my great uncle (S.B. Nitikman) find a buyer for the company. I soon realized that, even if we sold the company, I would have to stay on a for a while to help with the transition. I quickly developed a passion for the business.”

So Bob Silver, his brother, Michael, their longtime friend, Norman, and his cousin, Ron Stern, formed a partnership and bought the business.

(Ron Stern and Bob Silver also later acquired the Winnipeg Free Press which they still own.)

“When I came on board, WGW had long ago phased out gloves,” Silver says. “We were producing leisure suits and double-knit slacks. Jeans were a small part of the business. At that time, the baby boomers were coming of age. All of us – and our contemporaries – were wearing jeans. That was the direction we decided to go.”

In the early 1990s, Michael Stern created an all-new division called Silver Jeans specializing in jeans.

During his 50 years in the industry – and even before – there have been major changes. In the early years, he points out, all the workers were men –most from eastern Europe and many of them Jewish immigrants. By the 1960s, the men had been largely replaced by women – mostly eastern European immigrants.

It was the garment industry, he notes, under the leadership of the manufacturers’ Manitoba Fashion Institute, which took the lead in the late 1960s in recruiting Filipino workers.

In 1987, WGW moved into its new manufacturing plant at the southern foot of the Salter Bridge. WGW’s ownership showed their progressive vision by including a daycare on the premises – the first

of its kind – for the children of their employees. At the time, GWG numbered over 1,000 employees.

In the 1990s, though, everything began to change for Canada’s garment industry. “The writing was on the wall,” Silver notes.

And, partly as a result of the industry’s central training and lobbying body in the province, in 1989 the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Canada and the United States came into effect.

“During the period between 1989 and 1995, our business grew eightfold,” he notes.

The 1995 World Trade Organization (WTO) agreement to boost manufacturing from some 40 low-cost countries, in part by eliminating the WTO quotas in outerwear, caused devastation to the outerwear manufacturing industry in Canada. The result was that GWG joined most other Canadian manufacturers in moving their operations to low-income countries overseas.

Today, Western Glove Works has a workforce of just 100 remaining in Winnipeg. “Our financial and administrative functions we still do here,” Silver says. “We also handle our Canadian distribution out of Winnipeg. In the United States, we have a design office in Los Angeles, a sales office in New York and we do our distribution to our American accounts out of Washington state.”

The Silver Brothers and Ron Stern (Norman Stern has passed away) still own the company but, Bob points out, day-to-day management is now in the hands of younger family members.

Looking back on his 50 years running the family business, Bob Silver says that there is no place other than Winnipeg where he would choose to be. “The generosity among people here is unmatched anywhere else in Canada,” he notes. “Winnipeggers contribute more per capita than anywhere else.

“And I am proud of what WGW has been able to contribute this community for more than 100 years and will continue to contribute for more years to come.”

Western Glove Works.

A momento of Western Glove Works history.

Celebrating the Heights

To celebrate the 100th Anniversary of St. James (starting just west of St. James Street to Sturgeon Road) breaking away from Assiniboia to form their own municipality, I am doing street profiles. This column features the Heights.

In 1967, I was working at my first restaurant job on Portage Avenue near Moorgate Street, I became friends with another young man who was working in a neighbouring restaurant, the Silver Heights, owned by his father. This column will celebrate some of the history of my friend Jim Siwicki’s restaurant which is still going strong.

Other celebrations of life held at the Heights included:

• 2010, a reception for musician Stephen Karr, who managed Polo Park's Hammond Organs.

• 2015, a Celebration of Life for Bill Mark, a 30-year Winpak employee.

132 Days of Indecision about the Arlington Street Bridge

As of April 1, 2024:

IN WINNIPEG

The Silver Heights Restaurant featuring the BEST RIBS

In 1917, Michael and Mary Siwicki of Rosser welcomed Antony, the only boy into their family of five children. In 1921, the Village of Brooklands was created out of part of Rosser. Therefore, the Siwickis became original residents of Brooklands.

From the desk of a gadfly

In a Brooklands history book by James Castle, Antony is pictured as a member of the 1935 Brooklands Ukrainian Athletic Hockey team. In 1944, Antony married Anne Maxim. Antony and Anne had three sons: Jimmy, David, and Allan. Antony worked at Drewery Breweries and as a cab driver for Veterans Nash Cab.

During the summer of 1956, Antony, Stanley Bachynski, Nick Labinski, and Toby Labovic opened the Silver Heights Coffee Shop at 2169 Portage Avenue. After getting a liquor license, the coffee shop became known as the Silver Heights Restaurant. The restaurant's grand opening on Tuesday, July 9, 1957, featured free coffee.

Since 1964, the restaurant has been entirely owned by the Siwicki family. In 1970, Anthony appointed his eldest son, Jim, as a director and assistant manager of the Silver Heights Restaurant. The restaurant is currently operated by Tony, Sue, and J.C. Siwicki, the third generation of owners from the Siwicki family.

Tony is also the Chairman of the Board of the Manitoba Restaurant and Foodservices Association. There is always a Siwicki on duty at the Heights.

The Heights today

The Heights hosts many parties for special occasions. This year’s Super Bowl Party on February 11, 2024, included draws, raffles, and a half-time buffet. The March 16, 2024, St. Patrick's Day Bash included free Irish stew.

The walls and ceilings of the bar are covered with sports memorabilia. The WHA Winnipeg Jets (1972 to 1979) are remembered with pictures of Ab McDonald, Bobby Hull, and Joe Daley. The 1.0 NHL Winnipeg Jets (1979 to 1996) are remembered with pictures of Dale Hawerchuk, Morris Lukowich, Dave Babych, and Paul McLean. There is a picture remembering the 2011 opening game during the first season of the current 2.0 Winnipeg Jets. There are pictures of Bryan Little, a former player, and Goalie Connor Hellebuyck a current All Star with the 2.0 Winnipeg Jets

Milt Stegall and Andrew Harris honour Winnipeg Blue Bomber history. And let us not forget that the Heights has a shuttle bus going to all Winnipeg Blue Bomber home games.

A few of the valued employees

Mary Noella Walters was one of the first waitresses. The 2007 50th anniversary booklet acknowledges the valuable contributions of some employees, including night manager Larry Groom, Maureen Siwicki, Laurie Siwicki, Donna Siwicki, wine manager Donna Middleton, and chefs Alberto, Wilson, and Roberto.

Carol James began working as a waitress at the Heights in 1973. In 1981, Debbie Camp became an employee of the Heights. In 2011, Tony Siwicki gave Carol James and Debbie Camp a winter Caribbean cruise in recognition of their long service.

A few events and memorable guests

On May 27, 1969, St. James Aldermen J. Frank Johnston, and George Minaker made golfer George Knudson an honorary citizen of St. James Assiniboia at a gathering at the Heights. In 2000, Knudson was recognized posthumously as Canadian Golfer of the Century. In 2005, a Come and Go tea was held at the Heights to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Bill and Jean Crouch. A 2019 celebration of Reverend Murray Still's 30 years in the Ministry was held at the Heights.

Finally, Santa Claus has hosted many Christmas events at the Heights. Randy Glays was the volunteer Santa for about 20 years.

Links to the community

Frequent mentions in obituaries and celebrations of life confirm the Heights strong links to the community.

On February 4, 1996, a wake was held at the Heights to remember the life of chartered accountant Jim Hastie. After a 1979 move to the Caribbean, Jim conducted unique tours of his new home.

• 2016, a Celebration of Life was held for George Petterson, a farmer.

• 2017, a Celebration of Life for Doug Wooley, who had a long career in the restaurant business.

• 2018, a Celebration of Life for Anita Magnus, a 40-year employee with the Winnipeg Free Press.

The obituaries of educators Ralph Lyndon and Jack Carnegie both mention their frequent visits to the Heights.

George Roth career was in the gas fitting business. I quote from his January 2016 obituary: “George's Favourite restaurant was Silver Heights where he always enjoyed the ribs.”

The quote echoes the thoughts of a large number of loyal Heights’ customers

Notes:

1. The original owner of the Heights and the current owner his grandson both are always called Tony . In an attempt to avoid confusion, I refer to the Grandfather as Anthony and the Grandson as Tony

2. Another Grandson Tony's brother seems to always be

During my many recent trips down Logan and Dufferin past the well barricaded Arlington Street Bridge, I have found no evidence of anyone inspecting the bridge. How can a consultant (hired in August 2023) be producing another report on the condition of the bridge if no one is actually inspecting it?

Also, there is no evidence of any repairs being done on the Bridge. The City's November 21, 2023, News Release clearly states that short term maintenance is required even if the Bridge is not in use.

As I have previously stated, the bridge is beyond repair. Even with more band aid repairs, the bridge could not possibly receive engineering clearance to re-open.

Why is the city even studying a possible rehabilitation of the bridge? The video of the March 2024 Public Works Committee suggests that the City is willing to wait until September 2023 before making any decision on the Bridge.

Leadership and an immediate decision at city hall is needed on this issue.

referred to by his initial J. C..

3. I refer the Silver Heights Restaurant as simply the Heights It is a very commonly used abbreviation for the restaurant.

Fred Morris is a Grandfather, Sports Fan and Political Activist.

Fred Morris

Creative Retirement Manitoba Inc. 204-481-5030, hello@crcentre.ca www.crcentre.ca

WINNIPEG

20 Fort Street Seniors Club

2200-20 Fort Street / FortStSeniors@Shaw.ca

Manitoba Association of Senior Communities

Pembina Active Living (55+) 170 Fleetwood Rd. / 204-946-0839 office@pal55plus.ca / www.pal55plus.ca

Rady Jewish Community Centre 123 Doncaster Street / 204-477-7539 lmarjovsky@radyjcc.com / www.radyjcc.com

A&O Support Services for Older Adults Inc.

200 -207 Donald Street 204-956-6440 / Toll Free: 1-888-333-3121 info@aosupportservices.ca

www.aosupportservices.ca

Archwood 55 Plus 565 Guilbault Avenue / 204-416-1067 archwood55@shaw.ca

https://archwood55plus.wildapricot.org/

Bleak House Centre 1637 Main Street / 204-338-4723 bleakhousecentre@gmail.com

www.bleakhousecentre.com

Brooklands Active Living Centre 1960 William Avenue W 204-632-8367 / bpscc@mymts.net

Centro Caboto Centre 1055 Wilkes Avenue / 204-487-4597 ext. 1 executivedirector@cabotocentre.com www.cabotocentre.com

Charleswood Active Living Centre 5006 Roblin Blvd / 204-897-5263 info@charleswoodseniorcentre.org www.charleswoodseniorcentre.org

Crescent Fort Rouge 55 Plus 525 Wardlaw Ave. / 204-299-9919 cfruc55Plus@gmail.com

www.crescentfortrouge.ca

Dakota Community Centre 1188 Dakota Street / 204-254-1010 ext. 217 melissal@dakotacc.com www.dakotacc.com

Dufferin Senior Citizens Inc. 377 Dufferin Avenue / 204-986-2608

Elmwood East Kildonan Active Living Centre 180 Poplar Avenue / 204-669-0750 healthrelations@chalmersrenewal.org https://chalmersrenewal.org/

Fort Garry Seniors Resource Council 200 - 270 Donald Street / 204-792-1913 fortgarry@aosupportservices.ca www.aosupportservices.ca/resources/seniorsresource-finders

Golden Rule Seniors Club 625 Osborne Street / 431-866-6776 goldenrule@swsrc.ca

Good Neighbours Active Living Centre 720 Henderson Hwy / 204-669-1710 admin@gnalc.ca / www.gnalc.ca

Gwen Secter Creative Living Centre 1588 Main Street / 204-339-1701 becky@gwensecter.com / www.gwensecter.com

Headingley Seniors’ Services 5353 Portage Avenue / 204-889-3132 ext. 3 seniors@rmofheadingley.ca www.headingleyseniorsservices.ca

Indigenous Senior Resource Centre Inc. A1- 100 Robinson Avenue / 204-586-4595 executivedirector@isrcwpg.ca www.asrcwpg.ca

Manitoba Korean 55+ Centre 900-150 River Avenue 204-996-7003 / www.ksam.ca

North Centennial Seniors Association of Winnipeg Inc. 86 Sinclair Street / 204-582-0066 ncsc@shaw.ca / www.ncseniors.ca

North Point Douglas Seniors Association 49 Euclid Ave. / 204-880-1655

Rainbow Resource Centre 545 Broadway / 204-474-0212 ext 255 OTR@rainbowresourcecentre.org www.rainbowresourcecentre.org

The Salvation Army Barbara Mitchell Family Resource Centre 51 Morrow Avenue 204-946-9153 sheila.keys@salvationarmy.ca

South Winnipeg Seniors Resource Council 117-1 Morley Ave / 204-478-6169 resources@swsrc.ca / www.swsrc.ca

Southdale Seniors 254 Lakewood Boulevard / 204-257-6171 gm@southdale.ca / www.southdale.ca

Sri Lankan Seniors Manitoba 113 Stan Bailie Drive 204-261-9647 / www.srilankanseniorsmb.ca

St. James-Assiniboia 55+ Centre 3-203 Duffield Street 204-987-8850 / info@stjamescentre.com www.stjamescentre.com

St. Mary’s Rd. Seniors 613 St. Mary’s Rd., Winnipeg 204-257-0678 / www.stmarysroad.ca

Transcona Council for Seniors 845 Regent Ave / 204-222-9879 tcs@mymts.net / www.transconaseniors.ca

Transcona Retired Citizens Org. 328 Whittier Ave. West 204-222-8473 / trco328@shaw.ca

Vital Seniors - 3 St Vital Road 204-253-0555 / stmary@mymts.net www.stmarymagdelenewpg.org

Winnipeg Chinese Senior Association 204-291-7798 / wcsa.wpg@hotmail.com www.winnipegchineseseniors.ca

Winnipeg Condominium Corp #238 3281 Pembina Hwy / 204-269-6363

BEYOND WINNIPEG

BEAUSEJOUR

Beau-Head Senior Centre 645 Park Avenue 204-268-2444 / beauhead@mymts.net

BRANDON

Brandon Seniors for Seniors Co-op Inc. 311 Park Avenue E / 204-571-2050 reception@brandons4s.ca www.brandons4s.ca

Health Checks - 204-728-1842 brandonmbhealthchecks.ca healthchecksbrandon@gmail.com

CARMAN

Carman Active Living Centre 47 Ed Belfour Drive / 204-745-2356 www.activelivingcentrecarman.ca

CRANBERRY PORTAGE

Jubilee Recreation of Cranberry Portage Legion Hall 217 2nd Ave. SE / 204-271-3081

CRYSTAL CITY

Crystal City & District Friendship Club Inc. 117 Broadway St. / 431-867-0122 crystalcityfriendship@gmail.com

DAUPHIN

Dauphin Active Living Centre Inc. 55 1st Avenue SE 204-638-6485 www.dauphinseniors.com

DELORAINE

Deloraine Community Club Inc. 111 South Railway Ave E 204-747-2846

Seniors’ Outreach Services of BrenWin Inc. 204-747-3283 sosbrenwin@gmail.com sosbrenwin.com

ERICKSON

Comfort Drop In Centre 31 Main Street 204-636-2047 / areas@mymts.net

FLIN FLON

Flin Flon Seniors 2 North Avenue / 204-687-7308

GILBERT PLAINS

Gilbert Plains and District Community Resource Council Inc. 204-548 4131 gpdcrc@mymts.net www.gpdcrc-newhorizons.wix.com/gpdcrc

Gilbert Plains Drop In Centre 22 Main Street North / 204-548-2210

GIMLI

Gimli New Horizons 55+ Centre 17 North Colonization Road 204-642-7909 / gimli55@mts.net www.gimlinewhorizons.com

GLADSTONE

Gladstone Seniors Inc. 32 Morris Ave. North / 204-385-2205

GRAND MARAIS Grand Marais & District Seniors 36058 PTH 12 / gmdseniors@gmail.com www.gmdseniors.ca

GRANDVIEW

Grandview Seniors Drop In 432 Main Street / 204-546-2272

HAMIOTA

Hamiota 55+ Centre & Restore Community Co-op Inc. 44 Maple Avenue / 204-764-2658

KILLARNEY

Killarney New Horizons Centre 520 Mountain Avenue www.killarneymbseniors.ca

Killarney Service for Seniors 203 South Railway / 204-523-7115 seniorservice@killarney.ca

LA BROQUERIE and STE. ANNE

Seine River Services for Seniors Inc./ Services Rivière Seine pour aînés Inc. 93 Principale Street 204-424-5285 / labseinerss@gmail.com seineriverservicesforseniors.ca

LUNDAR

Lundar Community Resources 35 Main Street / 204-762-5378 lcrc@mymts.net

MANITOU

Pembina Community Resource Council 315 Main Street 204-242-2241 / pembinacrc@gmail.com

MINNEDOSA

Minnedosa Senior Citizens Assoc. 31 Main Street S 204-867-1956 / mdsasca@gmail.com

MORDEN

Morden Activity Centre 306 N Railway Street 204-822-3555

mordenactivitycentre@gmail.com www.mordenseniors.ca

NEEPAWA

Neepawa Drop In Centre 310 Davidson Street / 204-476-5103 Neepawa-dropin@outlook.com www.neepawa.ca/district-drop-in-center

PILOT MOUND

Pilot Mound Fellowship Centre 203 Broadway Avenue / 204-825-2873

PLUMAS

Plumas Seniors Citizens Club Inc. 102 White Street / 204-386-2029

PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE

Herman Prior Senior Services Centre 40 Royal Road N. / 204-857-6951 hermanpriorcentre@gmail.com www.hermanprior.com

Portage Service for Seniors 40A Royal Road N. / 204-239-6312 https://portageservicefors.wixsite.com/psfs

RIVERTON

Riverton Seniors Activity Centre 12 Main Street / 204-378-5155 rdfc@mymts.net / www.rivertonfc.com

SANDY LAKE

Sandy Lake Drop In Centre 100 Main St. / 204-585-2411

Municipality of Harrison Park - Age Friendly Initiative Committee 204-585-5310

SELKIRK

Gordon Howard Centre 384 Eveline Street / 204-785-2092 executivedirector@gordonhoward.ca www.gordonhoward.ca

SNOW LAKE

Snow Lake Senior Centre 71 Balsam Street 204-358-2151 / snowsrs@mymts.net

STARBUCK MacDonald Services to Seniors 204-735-3052 / info@mcdonaldseniors.ca www.macdonaldseniors.ca

STEINBACH

Pat Porter Active Living Centre 10 Chrysler Gate 204-320-4600 / ed@patporteralc.com www.patporteralc.com

STONEWALL

South Interlake 55 Plus 374 1st Street West - Oddfellows Hall 204-467-2582 / si55plus@mymts.net www.si55plus.org

SWAN RIVER

Swan River & District Community Resource Council 126 6th Ave N / 204-734-5707

resourcecouncil@srseniorservices.com

Swan River Senior Citizens Centre 702 1st Street North / 204-734-2212

THE PAS

The Pas Golden Agers 324 Ross Avenue / 204-623-3663 seniorsthepas@gmail.com

THOMPSON

Thompson Seniors Community Resource Council Inc. 4 Nelson Rd. / 204-677-0987 thompsonseniors55@gmail.com thompsonseniors.ca

TREHERNE

Treherne Friendship Centre 190 Broadway Street 204-723-2559 / jstate1066@gmail.com

VICTORIA BEACH

East Beaches Social Scene 3 Ateah Road / 204-756-6468

ebssinc1@gmail.com

https://www.ebseniorscene.ca

East Beaches Resource Centre 3 Ateah Road / 204-756-6471 ebresourcec@gmail.com

https://ebresourcec.weebly.com

WINKLER

Winkler & District MP Senior Centre 102-650 South Railway Avenue 204-325-8964 director@winklerseniorcentre.com www.winklerseniorcentre.com

Champion Child from northern First nation shares story of hope

It’s always special when kids share their health stories to inspire the community to #GiveBetterFutures for families who need HSC Children’s Hospital, and the 2024 Champion Child has been chosen to represent the resilience, hope, and strength of over 140,000 children who rely on our hospital annually.

I want to introduce you to Janessa Colomb, a brilliant, thoughtful, and talented individual with a meaningful story to share. She will join the family of past Champions who raise awareness for our Children’s Hospital locally and at a national and international level through the Children’s Miracle Network program.

tive programming like the Indigenous Community Healing Space, generously funded by donors, is so important. This space will provide families with a culturally safe space to heal.

Stefano Grande Healthy Living

Janessa lives in Pukatawagan, a First Nations community north of The Pas and 780 km from Winnipeg but has spent a lot of her young life at HSC Children’s.

Starting at age five, Janessa began having reoccurring urinary tract infections. Her parents took her to The Pas Hospital and then she was referred to HSC Children’s where specialists determined Janessa’s kidneys weren’t functioning properly; one was small, and the other was diseased.

By age seven, Janessa had reached stage 4 kidney disease with 25% kidney function that continued to decline. Recognizing the need to be closer to the care at Manitoba’s only children’s hospital, Janessa’s parents moved the family to Winnipeg.

After care and support from pediatric nephrology specialists and a successful kidney transplant at HSC Children’s Hospital, Janessa is now doing well. She’s a teenager enjoying being back in her community with family and friends, spending time outdoors doing things she loves like fishing and dancing. Janessa’s family will continue to travel to HSC Children’s in Winnipeg so specialists can keep an eye on her health.

Between 50 and 70% of kids treated at HSC Children’s are from Métis, First Nations and Inuit communities and many are far from their homes and cultural supports. That’s why innova-

The Child Life program at HSC Children’s is also critical for providing comfort to kids like Janessa in hospital. Child Life team members are experts in childhood development and programming includes music therapy, the library program, Children’s Hospital Television (CHTV), special holiday celebrations and of course, play.

As a Child Life assistant, Manuela works with children staying in the hospital, especially ones that are there for long periods of time, are in isolation or have very little caregiver presence.

“I believe in healing and healing

comes in many different ways,” says Manuela. “One of the ways would be through medicine, but there are different kinds of healing. I believe what we as Child Life bring is definitely a big part of healing as well.”

March is Child Life month and Music Therapy month, a time to celebrate the critical support health care teams provide for families in hospital. Child Life programming at HSC Children’s

Helpful advice from your friends at

Hospital is 100% funded by generous donors.

Your support means the world to kids like Janessa, and to health care staff who are dedicated to providing the very best care possible.

Donate today at goodbear.ca. Your present is changing their future.

Stefano Grande is the president and CEO of Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba.

Time for the WSO to rise again, respecting traditions, willing to meet the changing world

In the post-pandemic world, the data shows that performing arts organizations, along with being “first- and hardest-hit,” are also the slowest to recover. This is especially true in the three Prairie Provinces, according to Nanos and Business for the Arts research. For the WSO, operating as we currently are with 62% of pre-pandemic sales revenues, this represents over $1.5 million in lost revenue in the 2022-23 season. Like many other arts organizations, this loss was covered by reserves established by the Federal COVID wage and rent subsidies. Yet free concerts and lower-priced tickets are “selling like hotcakes”, meaning Manitobans remain hungry for the live performing arts. We haven’t necessarily lost 38% of our patrons, but the loss is skewed towards higher-priced tickets – historically purchased by older or long-standing audience members. In March 2022, a WSO audience survey showed that 32% of respondents were 75+ years of age. Many are not returning because they simply cannot.

The WSO team continues to work tirelessly to attract new patrons, lobby government for a longer COVIDrecovery runway, and increase our fundraising efforts. We’re thrilled that this year individual donations are up from last year in dollars and number of donations. We have a strong and dedicated Board. We are also focusing our efforts on reducing and managing costs as best we can on an already shoestring budget.

We receive enthusiastic feedback for our community concerts, outreach programs, Night at the Movies, Classics and Live at the WSO concerts that together, reach people of all ages, who are new to the WSO and from different cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. Many are coming to the Centennial Concert

Hall for the first time, seeing people who look like them, getting their photo taken on our red carpet, and enjoying the concert experience. We know the face of Winnipeg is changing; we see it in our audiences! We are also inspired by efforts of community cultural emissaries such as Paul Ong who help us reach Chinese and Filipino communities. Next year, our Symphony in the City series will include a partnership with the Punjabi community in a concert conducted by Armand Singh Burke. The WSO’s recent Sultans of String: Walking Through the Fire concert was a beautiful and important collaboration with Indigenous artists from across the country.

We are also overjoyed that with support from a long-time and dedicated WSO donor, we will be able to launch a three-concert Sunday Classics series next season to welcome audiences on a Sunday afternoon. We hope this will be good news for patrons who are no longer able or willing to come downtown in the evening. Stay tuned!

The Volunteer Committee (formerly known as Women’s Committee) supports the WSO through its Music Stand marketplace, which currently brings in $10-13,000 annually. This amount is offset in part by storage fees and technical services that the WSO pays to the Manitoba Centennial Centre Corporation (MCCC). Activities of the Music Stand were also in the past, supported by WSO marketing and financial departments. The WSO raises over $2 million per year from generous patrons, with very limited staffing. We must be sure that we invest our resources in ways that ensure every dollar and hour of staff time yields optimal returns, and this includes in our engagement with volunteers.

As the WSO emerged from the pandemic, we recognized that to build new audiences for the future, we must increase the visibility of the WSO, our upcom-

A crisis of overpopulation

As the weather warms up and spring creeps closer, Canadian rescues brace for the influx of newborn puppies and kittens that come with the peak breeding season. In fact, this comes on the heels of an urgent call to action recently submitted by 45 rescue organizations to the Manitoba Premier declaring a State of Emergency due to an animal overpopulation crisis.

So one may wonder – how did we get here? The Winnipeg Humane Society, along with Winnipeg Animal Services and the many rescues in the province, ensure that all of the animals they see get fixed. There was a time, in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, when people were staying home and adopting animals at unprecedented rates, that things weren’t quite so dire.

However, things have turned completely upside down since then. Rescues and shelters are consistently operating at, or above, capacity. Animals are staying in rescue longer, with puppies and kittens growing up before finding their homes. A larger proportion of previously adopted animals are coming back into care. Of major importance, many non-registered breeders and accidental litters have no follow-up regarding fixing, and intact strays can have multiple litters per year, thereby exponentially contributing to overpopulation.

Communities with little to no veterinary care particularly struggle, and the results are devastating—for both the communities and the animals. The “easy” answer is spaying and neutering. The more animals

ing concerts, and some of our guest artist groups at the Concert Hall. To ensure high brand recognition for WSO and our programming, we reached a new arrangement with the Volunteer Committee. This was to determine specific concerts (such as the Classics) where tables will be front and centre and others for which it made more sense for a slightly reduced Music Stand (from five tables to four), placed to the right of the entrance but still highly visible. For example, when the WSO holds a subscription or donation drive, we need to be front and centre. For our Star Wars in Concert movies, part of the experience will include a major front lobby installation. In such situations (and with varying demographics), it does not make sense to have the Music Stand seeking the engagement it will not likely attain. Should a marketplace targeted at people who look like my age demographic be at a Rap/Break Dancing concert? Or should we strive to ensure that younger people coming to the Concert Hall for the first time feel welcome, see people who look like them, be excited by the experience, and leave with lasting impressions that bring them back?

We recognize that the Music Stand is a beloved tradition for many Volunteer Committee members, a time of fellowship and socializing, and an opportunity to enjoy the concert. We also respect the stated independence of the Volunteer Committee to execute its activities and wish it continued success as it exercises its autonomy in ways that also work for the WSO.

In short, this is a nuanced, and to many, as we’ve heard, an overdue development. Our front-of-house experiences must carry a strong WSO brand and present us as welcoming to many different people and varying demographics. This includes those who represent our loyal and traditional audiences and others who are new to the WSO. For an organization that produces over 70 events per year, we are many WSOs and must strive to attract and retain our many demographics.

Thank you to every WSO supporter!

Angela Birdsell Executive Director of the WSO.

we fix, the less overpopulation, right? But on closer inspection, this concept certainly isn’t “easy”—if it was, we wouldn’t be where we are.

Regardless of one’s personal opinions on the matter, and this is a conversation for another day, there are certainly many pros to spaying and neutering - from avoiding behaviours brought on by hormones, which aren’t always desirable in an indoor family pet, to disease prevention. And there is also, of course, the resulting inability to reproduce, which avoids unwanted litters and helps control overpopulation and suffering.

At their root, some of the major problems which have led us here are at least identifiable:

• Lack of access to care - this is a ma-

jor issue that has only been exacerbated in recent years. Veterinary care in the northern part of our province is scarce. Dozens of communities are either fly-in only or rely heavily on winter roads. There result? Limited clinics, limited staff and limited resources. Short-term clinics run by rescue organizations, including the Winnipeg Humane Society and hundreds of wonderful, dedicated veterinary staff work tirelessly to provide services to these communities, but even their heroic efforts are only enough for limited control. Longer term solutions of broader scope are needed.

• Lack of funds - The lack of recognition of the importance of One Health - the idea that optimal health outcomes require a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach to address the connection between

people, animals, and their shared environment - has resulted in limited support for spay and neuter initiatives from all sector of government, resulting in the burden being placed on rescue and animal welfare groups who are already overstretched and rely heavily on donations.

• Lack of veterinary staff - This, in and of itself, is a worldwide problem, one which has been exacerbated by the increase in patients since the pandemic. This is a field which is demanding, draining and thankless. There aren’t enough people entering the field, and far too many leave far too soon. Did you know that until recently, the province sent only 15 students yearly to the only veterinary school accepting Manitobans? Yes, the province has recently increased the number of students, but far too few return to Manitoba after their training and resources, and interest in working in isolated communities is low.

So, how can the community help? Get involved, advocate, foster, and support our province's amazing Animal Welfare Organizations and One Health initiatives in any way you can. If you bring a new animal into your life, consider where they came from… and please, unless otherwise indicated, consider spaying and neutering them!

Until next time, fellow paw-print-loving friends.

Silver Heights Veterinary Hospital is proud to serve the Winnipeg region, and is located on Ness Avenue in St. James. Contact them at 204-504-5600 or visit their website at silverheightsvethospital.ca

Angela Birdsell Classics Live

Time to think outside the box, after all it is April…

With the spring coming ever closer, the great outdoors is calling. It will soon be time to tend the garden. I must admit, I am looking forward to once again playing in the dirt. Drip, drip, drop, drop, little April showers bring us the very best month of all.

Burgers are what my culinary mind is calling for. I know it’s a little early, but I can’t hold on any longer – the craving is too much, I just have to have a home-made burger, but maybe not your typical burger.

Sometimes its good to think outside of the box, and why stick to beef! Let’s mix it up a little bit, with this fun-filled, flavor packed “burger” which uses fresh salmon and a mix of lemon, dill, and parsley. Top it off with lots of bright salad — cucumber, spinach, tomato, and lettuce — add to that a tangy zesty yogurt sauce for a lighter and super easy eat anytime you want burger.

Here’s what you will need:

1 large egg

1lb skinless salmon fillet, finely chopped.

2 green onions

2 teaspoons fresh dill finely chopped.

2 teaspoons fresh parsley finely chopped.

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 cups iceberg lettuce sliced.

There is an epidemic of obesity in our society and religion is to blame. Diseases associated with obesity are on the rise. These include heart disease, arthritis, hardening of the arteries, rotten knees, and rotten hips. The root cause for people to eat too much of the wrong things is religion.

Every person has three personalities, Child, Parent and Adult. These three personalities must develop together and speak to each other if children are to mature into healthy sane people who have their Adult in control of their Parent and their Child. Anthropologists refer to grownups who have their Child in control as being paedomorphic or child-like; they have never learned logic nor how to reason and, like a child, they tend to accept whatever someone who appears to have authority tells them. They believe Tony the Tiger when he states that Sugar Frosted Flakes are GR-R-RR-R-R-R-R-R-EAT! The truth is these sugar-coated flakes are 90% sugars and starches with 0% fibre and almost no protein. Plain oatmeal contains no sugar, over 13% protein, and lots of fibre. This is a good alternative for the candy which parents give their children for breakfast. Eggs are a better alternative. They have natural vitamins, and a lot of protein which children need to grow strong and healthy bodies. Besides this, eggs have no sugar.

Wayne Weedon Food for Thought

1 beef steak tomato thinly sliced.

½ English cucumber sliced lengthwise

½ cup baby spinach

Juice of 1 lemon plus

1 ½ teaspoon lemon zest

¼ cup natural Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

4 Calabrese rolls

Salt & pepper to taste

The all important How to:

In a bowl, beat the egg until light and fluffy. Fold the finally chopped salmon, green onions, dill, parsley, 1 tablespoon mayonnaise and a pinch of salt and pepper together, then set aside in the fridge to bond for one hour.

Pour a tablespoon of olive oil in large skillet on a medium heat. Using a 5-inch cookie cutter, spoon equal amounts of salmon mixture into the cookie cutter levelling off into 1/2-inch-thick patties. Cook the salmon patties until golden brown, around 2 ½ minutes per side.

In a small bowl, add the yogurt, remaining mayonnaise, lemon zest and juice, remaining dill, and parsley, adding a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Blend together to form your sauce.

Cut the rolls in two then spread the sauce on bottom of each roll. Place the lettuce on the sauce, then two hearty slices of beef tomato, then the salmon patty, cucumber, and baby spinach; place the top of the roll and there you have it. Enjoy… Spring is almost here.

Ian Leatt is a trained chef from across the pond.

It is not unusual to see paedomorphic parents giving their two-month-old child Coca-Cola or Pepsi-Cola, even though the phosphoric acid in these drinks will rot teeth and bones. Plus, the sugar overload in these drinks will lead to obesity and diabetes. Children raised on sugar, crave sugar, because their taste buds never fully develop.

Religion forces children to develop their Child and suppress their Adult

as well as their Parent. Fathers and mothers allow religious organization to have complete power and control over their children who are taught to follow dogmatic rules. Religion teaches not to bother ourselves with thinking, they will do the thinking for us. Religion teaches children to lie, to state they believe what they do not believe. A mature Adult can think rationally and scientifically, but if the child’s Adult is not allowed to think and mature, these children will never develop the skills needed to live an independent adult life. Religion instills fear in children, telling them they will burn in Hell if they dare try to think and if they try to develop their Adult and Parent. Fear rules their lives.

Paedomorphic parents seldom read labels, and if they do, they do not bother to find out what these oftenunpronounceable ingredients really are. They do not question the veracity of advertisements about food for their children. With a little research a parent can easily determine what is in, for example, Jello instant pudding, which is basically laundry detergent. The two phosphates in this mix cause milk to thicken and form a pudding like concoction which children would spit out if it wasn’t excessively sweetened with sugar and enhanced with artificial flavourings and colourings. These phosphates are also used as laxatives which have a label, which warns, they should not be administered to children under twelve-years-of-age.

Why don’t governments do something about foods which are destroying our children’s health? Jello instant pudding has been a very big money maker for General Mills which was purchased by the tobacco giant, Phillip Morris, for a record $5.75 billion US. We are being told that large tobacco compaFear

nies like Phillip Morris have politicians and researchers in their back pocket.

It is the parents’ responsibility to determine exactly what big food companies are feeding us. Besides food giants, Phillip Morris and other tobacco companies have also invested heavily into pharmaceuticals, health care, and funeral homes. They intend to get your money as you come and as you go.

Big companies believe, if they say something loud enough and often enough, it will become the truth. The same television commercials, repeated, again and again, become tattooed in a Paedomorphic parent’s brain, especially if there is a catchy jingle. This is why parents will regularly reach for these advertised items whenever they see them.

Often food giants will disguise ingredients. Cyanide is often referred to as Yellow Prussiate of Soda; monosodium glutamate may be referred to as modified starch, glutamic acid, glutamate, yeast extract, hydrolysed protein, sodium caseinate, yeast nutrient, autolyzed yeast, et cetera, and sugars are often disguised as corn syrup solids, malt extract, concentrated fruit juice, milk ingredients, corn sweetener, honey,

cane crystals, evaporated cane juice, et cetera. Often, foods are stated as having no added sugar even though they contain one or more of these disguised sugars.

It's time for everyone to get familiar with what they eat. And that’s food for thought.

Next Month: Is Uncle Sam Spying on You?

Wayne Douglas Weedon is a Manitoba author who writes a combination of fictional and factual stories, essays, and novels.

Ian Leatt Foodies

Cereal box from the 1950s. A retro cigarette ad.

Former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney leaves us at 84

A remarkable man, a remarkable leader, and a wonderful friend

Dorothy Dobbie

He passed away quite unexpectedly for most of us – only 84, a younger age in politics. While we heard he had been ill, his unending interest in Canada and the fortunes of those who followed him kept him fresh and very alive in our minds.

I knew him as one of his MPs and he honoured me with several critical tasks that I look back on with gratitude. But what I remember most is his warmth and empathy, his concern for his fellows and his way of making everyone feel included.

That, indeed, seems to be the consensus among political allies and opponents as one. You will note I don’t use the word foes, because he did not view the “other side” as foes, but as worthy opponents, people he respected and could empathize with.

Brian Mulroney was a warm and genuine, generous human being who had vision and courage. He often said near the end of his tenure that it was more important to do what was right than what was expedient. He had sincere empathy for his fellows, and he was the first one to reach out to members, friends and even the Opposition if something went wrong in their lives. He would call with that deep, warm voice of his and say, "I understand. It will pass. It happens to all of us. You will be alright." And it made you feel better. I remember because he called me with that special message of encouragement when my personal life turned upside down or a while.

He did not reserve that special care for those he knew. I remember with warmth when he pushed his way through security and a crowd outside a hotel in Winnipeg to speak to Joyce Milgaard, mother of the imprisoned and wrongfully convicted David Milgaard. She was desperately trying to get justice for her son. The Prime Minister agreed. He gave his attorney general a poke, and he did it for the right reasons. As a result, the conviction was eventually overturned, and David was set free. Brain Mulroney was never afraid to do what he saw as right.

Despite this he was vulnerable and felt things deeply. I recall the first time I saw him give a speech while I was on the platform right behind him. He was a inspired orator, seldom looking at notes (to the chagrin of his staff from time to time). He spoke so intensely that his shirt was soaking wet with perspiration. I was told later that this was a common occurrence. Mila was always close at hand with a clean dry shirt and the support and comfort he needed to get through some of the harder times leaders face.

Brian Mulroney had a wonderful sense of humour and could laugh at himself as well as the world, although he could also be devastatingly tough when needed – as a leader should be. His sense of humour extended to events that might be considered serious under other leaders. I recall in 1990 when Russian General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev came to Ottawa for meetings with Mulroney shortly after the fall of the Berline wall. Given the royal treatment, Gorbachev was unimpressed, but as the Prime Minister was escorting him to the airport for his departure, Gor-

bachev said he had one more question.

“This is a wonderful country,” he said, “but tell me one thing. Why do you allow those prostitutes to hand around the doors of Parliament?” The “prostitutes” were staffers smoking outside the halls (as Lynn McDonald will recall), where they had recently been banished if they wanted to feed their habit. Brian thought this was hilarious as, of course, it was. And it was the kind of inside story he would regale his cause with keeping everyone feeling intimately in the know.

Brian Mulroney was never afraid to take advice. He listened to what people said, really considered it, then made his decision. Caucus meetings were the opportunity for him to hear from his backbench and he did listen, making notes, sometimes agreeing or at least acknowledging what he was told, and sometimes offering instruction to a minister to look into things.

When the Bloc was formed, one of the defectors told me that this was going to happen, "But," he said, "we won't take enough members to hurt the boss." They loved him, and he carried them along with us as part of the team. He had that ability – to carry us along as part of a team. How could we forget the Christmas parties in the Hall of Honour where, in his beautiful baritone voice, he would sing "Paper Dolly"? He treated us all as family.

Internationally, he was respected and consulted. Canada’s stature grew immensely under this leadership. I recall when he came back from a visit to Russia and told us how things really were there. “It is falling apart,” he told us. “It won’t

Economic forecasting – Do not always

Economic forecasting, often heralded as the crystal ball of financial prognostication, is a area fraught with complexities and uncertainties. Economists, armed with big data, models, and theories, endeavor to decipher the enigmatic dance of global markets and foresee the trajectory of economies. However, amidst the many variables and dynamics, errors lurk ominously, capable of derailing even the most meticulous predictions.

More insidious and frequently overlooked is the underlying reality that economists aligned with financial institutions are occasionally driven by ulterior motives, thereby propagating a contrived narrative to align with their vested interests. When was the last time banking entities collectively sounded the alarm for an impending major economic recession? Such a scenario is virtually non-existent. It would be highly imprudent for them to do so, given the detrimental impact it could inflict upon their businesses. While it would be an overstatement to accuse banks of outright falsehood, I believe there is a discernible tendency to selectively present information in a manner conducive to their objectives—a strategic maneuver deemed permissible within the confines of their prerogative: to make money.

processes, rendering forecasts vulnerable to unforeseen shifts in consumer sentiment and investor psychology. The same rationale explains why socialist economic models, regarded by some as perfect in theory, eventually fail.

Romel Dhalla On The Money

Moreover, the global economy operates within a complex web of interconnectedness, where the ripple effects of events in one corner can reverberate across continents. The 2008 financial crisis serves as a poignant testament to this interdependence, catching economists off guard and shattering rosy prognostications. The housing market collapse in the United States unleashed a domino effect, precipitating a worldwide recession that laid bare the fallibility of prevailing economic models.

The annals of economic history are replete with instances where forecasts faltered spectacularly, leaving economists scratching their heads in disbelief. The Great Depression of the 1930s stands as a glaring example, where eminent economists failed to anticipate the severity and duration of the downturn. The prevailing orthodoxy of classical economics, with its emphasis on laissez-faire policies and selfregulating markets, proved woefully inadequate in confronting the complexities of a faltering global economy.

be long now.” And it wasn’t. The Iron Curtain came down a short time later.

He also had the humility of knowing when it was time to step down and let the next generation step up. When he did this, he held a last caucus meeting followed by luncheon in the Railway Committee room where he had his favourite dish served to his colleagues: wieners and beans! That was so Brian.

Books will be written about this man who was loved and reviled at the same time. Some will be unkind and unjust, some will be overflowing with praise and accolades, but all will have to agree that he was a transformational leader who loved his country and his family and his friends. He was forgiving and non-judgmental. He was also humble in his way. He often paraphrased American Admiral Willam Halsey Jr.*, by saying, “There are no great men, only ordinary men who rise to meet great challenges.”

A giant on the world stage, a leader on issues such as the end of apartheid, acid rain, liberalized trade, modernization of taxation, accord between English and French Canada, settlements of outstanding Indigenous claims, including the formation of Nunavut . . .the list of his accomplishments was much longer than this.

Brian Mulroney was a good man. A very good man. And a very good leader.

*Actual quote Willam Halsey Jr.: “There are no great men, just great challenges which ordinary men, out of necessity, are forced by circumstances to meet.”

Dorothy Dobbie was the Progressive Conservative MP for Winnipeg South from 1988 to 1993.

rely on what you’re told

burst in 2000, billions of dollars evaporated into thin air, puncturing the bubble of optimism and exposing the folly of inflated forecasts. This story is all too familiar, particularly at this moment in time.

At the heart of economic forecasting lies the pivotal role of central banks, chief among them the Federal Reserve. Endowed with the mandate of maintaining price stability and promoting full employment, the Fed wields immense influence through its monetary policy decisions, particularly regarding interest rates. However, the efficacy of these decisions hinges on the accuracy of economic forecasts. Compounding the problem is that there is a lack of real consensus around modelling forecasts, a prime example is the consumer price index, or CPI. The “core” CPI used by the Federal Reserve excludes both energy and food due to their inherent volatility, which I believe is a politically motivated heap of stupidity. When energy and food prices persist at elevated levels for longer than a summer drought or a terrorist induced short term energy crisis then they are seriously impacting consumers, as they are now.

hint of the Fed scaling back its bond-buying program sent shockwaves through financial markets. The episode underscored the outsized influence of central bank communications on market sentiment, highlighting the stakes involved in accurate economic forecasting.

Thus, economic forecasting remains an indispensable tool in navigating the treacherous waters of the global economy. Yet, despite the best efforts of economists and policymakers, the specter of error looms large, capable of unraveling the most meticulously crafted forecasts. Historical precedents serve as sobering reminders of the fallibility inherent in economic prognostication, while institutions like the Federal Reserve grapple with the consequences of flawed forecasts on monetary policy decisions.

Economic forecasting rests on a precarious foundation, beset by myriad sources of error. One of the foremost challenges lies in the unpredictable nature of human behavior, which defies the neat equations of economic models. Behavioral economics, a burgeoning field, underscores the irrationality inherent in decision-making

Similarly, the dot-com bubble of the late 1990s witnessed a frenzy of exuberance fueled by overzealous projections of endless growth in the technology sector. Economists, mesmerized by the allure of the burgeoning internet economy, overlooked warning signs of overvaluation and speculative excess. When the bubble

When economic forecasts veer off course, central banks find themselves walking a precarious tightrope, torn between conflicting imperatives: prices vs. jobs. Overly optimistic forecasts may tempt policymakers into prematurely tightening monetary policy, raising interest rates to stave off inflationary pressures. Conversely, pessimistic forecasts risk trapping economies in a cycle of stagnation, as central banks hesitate to loosen monetary reins for fear of stoking inflation.

The perils of misjudged forecasts reverberate through the corridors of the Federal Reserve, shaping its policy decisions and reverberating across global markets. The infamous "taper tantrum" of 2013 offers a poignant illustration, as the mere

In this labyrinth of complexities and uncertainties, humility emerges as a cardinal virtue, reminding economists of the inherent limitations of their craft. Rather than succumbing to the hubris of omniscience, economists must embrace a spirit of introspection and adaptability, acknowledging the perpetual flux of the global economy. I think now is an especially critical moment in time, given the state of the world, so let’s hope they get it right.

Romel Dhalla, is President of Dhalla Advisory Corp., provides strategic corporate finance advice to companies and high net worth individuals and was a portfolio manager and investment advisor with two major Canadian banks for 17 years. Contact him at romel@ dacorp.ca. Any views or opinions represented in this article are personal and belong solely to the author and do not represent those of people, institutions or organizations that the owner may or may not be associated with in professional or personal capacity, unless explicitly stated. Any views or opinions are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, or individual.

reach

Goodbye to Rick and bon journey, dear fellow traveller

Dear Dorothy; The title of this column is ‘Reach’ and it is time for me to reach. To reach out to the next thing waiting for me. At the end of the first column I wrote, for the September 2022 issue of Lifestyles 55, you posted this comment. ‘This is the first in a series in a new column by recovering alcoholic Rick Duerksen.’ I have a slightly – and in some cases, more than slightly – different view on addiction and recovery than most have. Since I stopped drinking, a little more than two and a half years ago, I have never thought of myself as an alcoholic, recovering or otherwise. I used to drink, now, I don’t. I don’t refer to myself as being sober. Most people define sober as not being drunk. I just say that I choose not to drink.

Rick Duerksen Reach

I choose not to drink. I choose. It is a deliberate action. Shortly after I stopped drinking, I was talking to a friend and mentioned that it had been quite easy, so far. I suggested that perhaps my drinking hadn’t been all that bad, after all. Her snort of derision and her sarcastic ‘yeah, right’ carried quite clearly over the telephone line. Yeah, I had a drinking problem. Had. Past tense. That is how I look at it. How I look at myself. I used to drink, now, I don’t. It was really that simple, and that complicated. I often say that putting away (not aside, away!) the bottle was both the easiest difficult thing I’ve ever done and the most difficult easy thing I’ve ever done. I used to drink, now, I don’t.

In the movie “Heaven Can Wait” (yes, another movie reference) an NFL quarterback appears to be involved in a fatal bicycle-automobile accident, and the audience catches up with him as he is strolling around the departure gate in limbo, waiting to board a flight to heaven. It seems though, that his time on Earth was not scheduled to end in the accident. His guardian angel, wishing to spare him pain and suffering pulled him away just seconds before the collision –a collision he would have avoided. The head angel instructs the guardian angel to send the quarterback back to Earth, but by the time all this is sorted out, the body has been cremated, thus removing that as an option.

The rest of the movie shows the spirit of the deceased quarterback being temporarily housed in other people, people whose time on earth was up. Outwardly, the person appeared the same, but the personality and character were that of the quarterback, who was residing inside. After several such attempts, the spirit of the quarterback is housed in the body of another quarterback, and in the end, the two become one. The memories and past life of the quarterback fade away, as he becomes the person whose body he had, up until then, been living in.

In many ways, this describes my journey of recovery. At first, I was still the old Rick, living in the new non-drinking Rick. People saw the new me, the nondrinking me, but inside I was, in many ways, still the

Killing ourselves with Coke

old version of myself, complete with my old thoughts, memories, and faults. Over time though, the old me faded away and inwardly I became the person being projected. The old Rick used to drink. The new Rick doesn’t.

When I first started writing these columns, it was something I needed to do. It was a way of ridding myself of my old self, my old way of behavior, my old way of thinking. It was a sail that helped propel me forward. It encouraged me to keep on moving on, and I would like to think that perhaps it provided encouragement to others. Now, though, referring to my old life is becoming a sea drogue, weighing me down and slowing my forward progress. It is time for me to move on, move ahead, and leave all of my past behind. To do that, I need to stop writing about my past.

One of my favorite quotes is by the poet Robert Browning who wrote “Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, or what’s a heaven for?”

I am grateful for the opportunity you provided me with, for the chance to express my thoughts and share some of my feelings. It helped me reach the place where I am today. But to continue to reach, I need to let go.

With gratitude,

Rick Duerksen

We are grateful to Rick for sharing his journey with us. He picked up where Al Wiebe left off and I wish him the same success that Al has had. I’m so happy for both these brave men and will always be happy to hear from them in future. If you have a story you would like to share about your life in turmoil and the lesson you are learning, contact me at dorothy@pegasuspublications.net.

The following story is part a new feature, a fictional work by our columnist Wayne Weedon, Killing ourselves with Coke. Wayne is a brilliant writer whose style consists of simple declarative statements that stick in your mind as he leads you through an intricate web of circumstances to reach the lesson he set out to teach.

Killing ourselves with Coke

Pregnant and deserted by her lover, a young girl moves in with her grandfather. When the baby boy is born, the grandfather agrees to look after him so his granddaughter may go to work. Despite the age difference, the relationship between the boy and his great-grandfather was more like two siblings than that of an adult and child. As this boy grew into a young man, he loved to look back and tell stories about his great-grandfather, whom he always called “Pops”.

When I came home from Ralph’s birthday party, I told Pops how the other children were making fun of me because I had never had a hotdog in my life, and, how they really laughed when I admitted I had never had Doritos or CocaCola. “They made me feel like I’m being deprived!”

“I suggest, whenever people are ridiculing you, you should try to re-direct the heat. You could just tell them the truth. Ask them why you would have had Coke if your Pops never bought it and it was never in the house. This way you are diverting the heat from yourself and onto me, and because I’m an authority figure, they are not going to make fun of me.”

“Isn’t that kind of evading the issue?”

“Yes, it is, but there is no sense in trying to argue with someone who thinks they know it all. These people would never understand why I do not have Coke in the house.”

“Why don’t you?”

“It is because Coke, Doritos and hotdogs are all junk-foods which I refuse to eat. These kinds of foods will eventually kill you if you eat them on a regular basis.”

I admit, I could not understand what Pops was talking about. Could stores be selling foods which can poison you? How could the government allow it?

The next day when I came home from school, Pops had a load of junk-foods on the kitchen table. Finally, I thought, I’ll be just like the other children. I was wrong. He began explaining to me why these foods are so bad. He started off with Jello-O Instant Chocolate Pudding which I had eaten at Ralph’s party. He asked me to look at the ingredients, and he began explaining them to me.

“What we are basically doing is adding laundry detergent to milk. These phosphates cause the milk to thicken into a pudding like chemical concoction, which children would spit out if it did not have an overload of sugar, artificial flavourings, and artificial

colouring. Why would anyone feed laundry detergent to their children?”

I was astonished. How could this be true? Pops then went on by telling me these same phosphate compounds are also sold in drugstores as a laxative. He then stated, “If a child who consumes a lot of Jello-O Instant Pudding ends up with diarrhoea, the parent would never consider the pudding was the problem, they would assume the child just got a ‘touch of the flu’ and the doctor would likely agree.”

Things even got worse when Pops went on about Doritos and CocaCola.

“Coca-Cola is so bad I believe it should be banned. It is nothing but excessive sugar which will make you fat, and phosphoric acid which will eat out your teeth and bones. That is a scientific fact.”

“Wow, you’re pretty hard on Coke.”

“I cannot emphasise how bad it is, and I shudder to think how parents are giving this to babies.”

“But everybody at my school drinks it!”

makes soup to give it a little extra flavour and nutrition. Pops then explained how the three of us got two suppers and two lunches from this roast. “That makes a total of twelve meals from the roast. If we add in the vegetables these meals were no more than two dollars each, which is a lot less than what these junk foods or meals at McDonald’s would cost. And people complain about the high cost of food. Let them eat the basics and they would save a whole lot of money and they would be getting much better nutrition.”

Pops was making me feel bad, just like an ungrateful and spoiled child, “I see your point Pops. Now, what do I do about the others at school who make me feel embarrassed about having a homemade sandwich with an apple and celery stick for lunch?”

“If everybody was eating gravel off the street, would you?”

I knew better than to argue with Pops, “Well, I don’t think Doritos are that bad. I mean they have corn in them.”

“Yes, and a lot of other things too. Doritos is a chemical feast. Why don’t we review what you normally eat at home? I want you to look at how unhealthy and expensive junk food is compared to real food. Okay?”

Pops then started talking about our normal meals, which is what he calls basic food. For example, he brought up last Sunday’s dinner which consisted of a roast of pork with potatoes and vegetables. Pops pointed out that he had picked up the roast from Sobey’s when they were having a sale on pork. Pops, if he can help it, never pays regular price for anything. The roast, which had six rib bones, cost just over seventeen dollars. Pops pointed out how I had two bones to chew on and he froze the other four bones, leaving a bit of meat on them. He explained he would put these bones in the pot the next time he

“Those homemade sandwiches I gave you had real pork on homemade whole wheat and rye bread, not your chemical glue which is referred to is Wonder Bread. Come to think of it, that’s a good name for it, I wonder why anyone would want to eat it. You’ve got to learn to ignore people and just get on with life. I bet there are some of your fellow students who would love to trade places with you. Many of them realize they live in a household where nobody cares about what they eat. Children would rather have a disciplinarian for a parent than one who ignores what they are up to. I advise you to just let criticism go in one ear and out the other.”

Oh boy, Pops was on a tirade. I had never seen him like this. He went on and on about the hotdog I had at Ralph’s. “Here’s another chemical concoction with the same laundry detergent in it and served on a Wonder Bread bun. I wouldn’t feed it to my worst enemy.” Pops sure had his dander up. I guess I should consider myself lucky that I have Pops to look after me. However, I do know what it’s like to be criticized and ostracized, and it’s not pleasant. No wonder people just go along with things they don’t agree with. Sometimes it’s not pleasant to be different.

Next Month, A new story: Child Abuse

Wayne Douglas Weedon is a Manitoba author who writes a combination of fictional and factual stories, essays, and novels.

A vintage and refurbished Coca-Cola mural from the midwestern US. Photo courtesy of the US Library of Congress.

Men of the cloth, italian tailors i have known

A gentleman will leave his pocket stitched . . .

Ifirst became aware of Italian tailors while in my mid-twenties. I was in the display business back then. Most of the many retail stores I worked at were menswear locations from Thunder Bay west to Saskatchewan, close to 20 stores in all. Every one of them, at that time, had a tailor shop with, almost always, a tailor who hailed from Italy. It was at that time I learned how to properly iron a shirt and a pair of pants. A skill I’m still very adept at.

I also learned a lot about tailors. I had no idea creating clothing goes back to ancient Greece and Italy. Becoming a professional tailor in Europe really came into fruition in the Middle Ages with the creation of guilds. Through the guilds came a system of masters, journeymen, and apprentices. They established rules limiting competition and developing standards. In 1244, members of the tailor's guild in Bologna established statutes to govern their profession and required anyone working as a tailor to join the guild. The history of tailoring is fascinating and is well-worth some research. I’m a busy guy so I cut to the chase by dropping in to see my old friend Frank Trunzo. He and partner Manfred Lang own Vittorio Rossi Clothiers, a name I have known for almost fifty years.

nothing much more than the sleeve length adjusted. If a few other minor adjustments are needed, you and your new suit are ready to go in a matter of days or maybe a week. Easy peasy. A made-to-measure suit is more complex. A salesperson will assist a customer in choosing the fabric he wants from numerous books of examples. The tailor is then called upon to take the basic measurements. The details are sent away. Eventually the suit arrives back, and the customer is asked to come in for a fitting. This process might require two or three subsequent visits to fine-tune the suit.

Jim Ingebrigtsen

Frank gave me a simple, more in-depth explanation of tailoring. There are, essentially, three types of tailoring when it comes to men’s suits. You pick a suit you like “off the rack”, a salesperson will have you try it on and then call the tailor out from the back to make the proper measurements. This usually requires letting the pant waist out or bring it in, the measuring, marking and hemming the pant leg and perhaps a little padding on a shoulder that might be a bit lower that the other. The suit jacket usually needs

Finally, the custom or “bespoke” suit. This is the most work-intensive process of all. The tailor interacts directly with the client and takes measurements that are as detailed and precise as possible. The measurements are then transferred to pieces of paper which in turn becomes the overall pattern of the suit. The template is created and then the tailor goes to work putting the pieces of cloth together. It is not uncommon for a skilled tailor to spend two to three weeks working on one custom suit. Depending on the material, the design and required alterations, it shouldn’t be surprising that a true custom or bespoke suit will cost between five and ten thousand dollars.

By the way, I also learned a gentleman will leave the suit pockets sewn at the top. A gentleman never puts stuff in his sport coat or suit jacket side pockets. A gentleman never carries change in his pockets. A gentleman always has polished shoes. Oh, and a real tailor creating a bespoke suit for a customer will ask a gentleman, “On which side do you dress?” He is not asking on which side of the bedroom he puts his clothes on. He wants to know on which side your

business, if you take my meaning, rests on.

You might recall some of the higher end shops you got suited up in such as Thompson & Pope, The Stag Shop, Halfords or Haddon Hall. Hanford Drewitt and Vittorio Rossi are still here.

William Shakespeare, who was known to be a dapper dresser, wrote in Hamlet, “The apparel oft proclaims the man.” But, long before him it was Erasmus, a Catholic priest and social critic, who recorded the Latin proverb, “vestis virum facit” meaning “clothes make the man.”

But I remember some of the men who made the clothes. Romolo, Salvatore, Serafino, Alberto, Eugene, Ralph, Vince, Lino, Gino, Frank, Tony and Giovanni were all cut from the same cloth. Some of these gentlemen started in the trade when they were only ten and twelve years old. Sadly, most of them are no longer with us. A dying art to be sure.

You can listen to Jim’s podcasts on Lifestyles 55 Digital Radio.

We reached for the moon and discovered Geocaching

Many people think of “Blue Switch Day” (May 1, 2000) as the beginning of satellite usage for locating coordinates on the ground level. It actually had its beginning back as far as the early 1960s when US President Kennedy made public his desire to have the US reach the moon before the end of the decade. This sparked the development of a highly accurate satellite navigation system.

The US Navy launched this system in 1964, known as Transit and because of the

tensions and competitive nature of relations with the Soviet Union they launched a similar system they called Tsikada. Both systems were two dimensional and highly accurate but took ten to fifteen minutes for the receivers of the day to process the information.

This system was fine for the navy as their travel was primarily by ships which were slow enough that processing speed wasn’t a huge factor. The Air Force, with the jet planes of the day, however had a different opinion and developed their own system as did the ground forces. In 1969 all these systems were combined to form NAVSTAR GPS. At this time there was still no recreational aspect in consideration for the system.

This system was used until the late 1970s. In 1978 the first Global Positional System satellite was launched but it wasn’t until another six years had passed that civilian use was allowed on the system. At that time, because of Selective Availability, (intentional time varying errors of up to 100 meters (328 ft) to the publicly available navigation signals) it was not all that useful for precision work. This was intended to deny an enemy the use of civilian GPS receivers for precision weapon guidance. This meant that the accuracy still wouldn’t be good enough to find a nano in a steel handrail, but you could possibly find one of the huge Zoo type hides

in a well mowed open field. Without a classified seed key to unlock the system, recreational use was out although products for civilian consumers began showing up in stores.

Once all twenty four satellites were in place around 12,500 miles above the earth, GPS receivers could lock onto at least four signals and now determine coordinates in three dimensions. They circled the earth every twelve hours on six orbital planes.

About this time the Soviets, not wanting to fall behind, developed new technology of their own. This new system was and still is known as GLONASS. It also has twenty four satellites but travels on only three orbital planes.

Today, you can receive signals from satellites belonging to both of these systems as well as those from China, India, Japan, and the European Union. If you wish to see where in our sky these are download an app for your phone for that purpose. I use an APP called GPS Test.

In 1996 President Clinton decided that the US should open the GPS system to the public and it happened on May 1st 2000. Literally, a switch was flipped which turned off the Selective Availability and portable GPS units became accurate within five to ten meters.

About this time an electronics and software engineer named Dave Ulmer from Portland, Oregon stayed up late the night that blue switch was turned off to see if the accuracy of his personal GPS receiver would improve. It dawned on him that this was something that could have other uses now and he came up with the idea of a

treasure hunt. After practising with his GPS receiver he placed a five gallon bucket with a logbook and some small treasures near a wooded road about a mile from his home.

He posted a message on a Usenet newsgroup about “The Great American GPS Stash hunt” on May 3, 2000, about his idea and on May 5, he posted the coordinates and encouraged others to do the same. In less than five days there were stashes from California to Illinois and all the way to Australia.

Soon after there was discussion about the name “stash” as it was close to terminology used in the drug trade. Geocaching was born. A mail list was formed on eGroups (which is now Yahoo) to share ideas and locales. By September this was replaced by a website with the address of www.geocaching.com which is still the primary site to use for caching.

Originally a GPS receiver was needed for the sport but now anyone with a cell phone can go hunting as well. A GPS unit can get you within two meters as can a better smartphone. Most phones are good for as close as three meters though. A GPS on the L5 band can actually get you within twelve inches of ground zero, but remember that if it was placed by someone with a regular cell phone it is still possible for it to be out by three meters no matter how good your unit is.

Whatever type of receiver you use I hope to bump into you searching for a cache somewhere out on the trails.

Gary Brown is the President of the Manitoba Geocaching Association (MBGA) and can be reached at mbgaexec@outlook.com.

Gary Brown Geocaching

u Living the good life in Manitoba’s southwest corner

Continued from page 1 had smaller grain trucks to haul their commodities. While the farmer and their family were in the small towns hauling their goods, they would also pick up farm supplies, personal consumer goods and groceries. This would support local businesses in all our small communities. As the federal government allowed the closing of local railroad lines, many communities were greatly affected, losing their grain elevators, creameries, and many small family businesses. As a result, small towns are now facing an ageing population consisting of retiring professionals in education, healthcare, financial services and agriculture.

There is hope. My priority has always been economic growth because growth ensures that future generations will be able to keep our communities thriving. Throughout Turtle Mountain, many communities have been successful in reversing the depopulation trend by focusing on economic development: communities such as Killarney, Boissevain, Pilot Mound/Crystal City (Louise Municipality), Notre Dame, Manitou, Cartwright and Pierson. In these communities we’ve seen school enrollment increase.

The municipality of Boissevain/Morton had a decline of 1.9%, which surprised me My prediction is that this community will should grew due to an economic development focus which will soon see a new manufacturer moving into to produce travel trailers. There is also the expansion of their two biggest manufacturers: Western Arch Rib and Goodon Industries.

We are also seeing companies in the region expanding including Western Arch Rib (Boissevain), HyLife Industries (Killarney), Goodon Industries (Boissevain), Group (Boissevain), PhiBer Manufacturing (Crystal City), Pilot Mound Hockey Academy (Pilot Mound), Tundra Oil & Gas (Western Region), Comte Industries Limited (Notre Dame), Ag-Quest (Minto), Tuff Cattle Handing Equipment (Notre Dame), Reimer Welding Inc. (Cartwright), Rainbow Trailer (Cartwright), Good Lands Environmental (Pierson), Vandale Seeds Ltd. (Madora) and Subcan (Manitou).

One of the fasting growing municipalities in Turtle Mountain is the RM of Louise which includes the communities of Pilot Mound, Crystal City and Clearwater. The municipality grew by 5.6% in the last 2021 Census, higher than the Manitoba average of 5%. Much of the growth was contributed to an influx of young families moving into the area to work at PhiBer Manufacturing which had a major expansion of their manufacturing facilities. Killarney-Turtle Mountain experienced a growth of 2.7%, much of which was due to the expansion of the hog industry, including a new feed mill built by HyLife and several new hog barns which now employ area residents. We are also seeing increased collaboration with Indigenous communities and Hutterite colonies, many of which are specializing in specific products or services. Uniting our communities and working together is how we move toward a prosperous and growing region.

The expansion of activity at the International Peace Garden is focusing on increasing tourism in the region. Manitoba and North Dakota governments have invested $20 million to renovate, expand and build new attractions to increase more events and travel to the Garden, which is taking the leadership in bringing communities together to work collaboratively to increase regional travel to both sides of the border. Everyone in the Turtle Mountain region will benefit from this.

When we have a growing rural community, young local families have a future with new for career opportunities to support the workforce. If a manufacturer is hiring an engineer for example, the spouse of that engineer could also be a healthcare professional, which equates to a new employee at the regional healthcare facility.

At one time, when farms where small and numerous, a spouse would often work as a teacher or a healthcare professional. Now that farms are larger family farm corporations, everyone in the family may work in the farm corporation and community may no longer benefit from one of the family members working in any other industry.

That is the challenge we are facing. With a community where the population is aging and now needs more healthcare for their residents but no longer can rely on the farming community to provide these healthcare professionals, we need to figure out how to meet those needs another way. This is why communities really need to focus on economic development to attract new industries to bring in new families and diversify the populations and its talents. A number of communities have done well and have fewer issues to healthcare professionals. If a community is growing and thriving, they are better able to attract a doctor to stay to raise their family in the country where they have a good life-work balance and a wonderful quality of life.

This is why in the Southwest Region of Manitoba we all have to work together to show the rest of the world that we are open for business. We have a beautiful region for families to work in and build a life where they can enjoy our outdoors, our parks and the many lakes we have in the region.

Now that we have the technology with improved

Research, innovation, manufacturing, global exports!

What’s really happening in our southwest corner of Manitoba

The ingenuity and creative ability, the grit and determination of the people of southwestern Manitoba is incredible. When you look at the long list of companies that have grown up here (and this is just a partial list), you have to marvel at the strength they bring to our province.

Take two companies from Boissevain. Goodon Industries and Western Arch Rib, both in the building materials sector, Goodon in the post frame construction business supplying most of Canada, and Arch Rib with its glue lam structural wood product making beautiful construction materials for around the word. (Did I mention that Goodon was created by a local Metis guy who built the company from scratch?)

How about Phi Ber, from Crystal City that created a square bale spreading machine and manufactures these for Case, new Holland and John Deere, or Notre Dame des Lourdes’ Comte Industries Limited that makes livestock feeding equipment under its Tuff brand and hopper bottom cones, or Madora’s gigantic Vandal Seeds for grading, packaging and exporting to worldwide markets? Reimer Welding makes Eze Feeders for livestock and Legend Outdoor Furnaces in Cartwright. And of course, who can overlook HyLife that not only exports pork products to Asia and globally, but has also developed new food mill technology. The pipeline construction company, Subcan Ltd. operates out of Manitou building and servicing pipelines in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

Did you know that there is an important hockey school in Pilot Mound? It’s a 10-month program fostering elite hockey players while providing an excellent academic background at the same time. Theren there are companies such as Minto’s Ag-Quest, researching crop pathologies and herbicide resistance, and Goodlands Environmental doing consulting work for the oil and gas industry. And we haven’t even touched on Tundra Oil and Gas, the new potash mine and so many others. . .

There is a lot going on down here. Stay tuned!

Next month Doyle will talk about employment opportunities.

fiber optics, many of our workforce can now work in rural Manitoba and still have a great career that will allow everyone with the opportunity to live where there are open spaces and people can have a life-work balance. Doyle Piwniuk is the MLA for Turtle Mountain. His column will be an ongoing feature in Lifestyles to help promote our knowledge and understanding about the amazing things happening in the part of our province.

What’s coming up on Lifestyles 55 Radio – The Gardener and Issues in the News

Dorothy Dobbie

Issues in the News

This is a spinoff of my monthly column in Lifestyles, and I have an interesting lineup for you. Listen to the show with Dr. Hélène Bertrand who talks about how to deal with lower back pain. Dr. Bertrand’s show will also appear in audio on our podcast channel, because she shows the exercise technique that can be used to resolve 90% of the backpain issues we have.

Also coming up is Dr. Barry Prentice of the University of Manitoba and founder of ISO Polar Airships, who has worked to bring Airships to the Arctic for the past 30 years. He will bring us up to date on where this plan is and how it will benefit Manitoba and the world.

An interview with Doug Cook, the owner of the pirate ship on Wilkes and an investor in Urban Lumber, the clever company that is salvaging diseased elm from our city streets and turning it into beautiful custom furniture, promises to be interesting and inspiring.

Lifestyles 55 Radio is on the air at www.lifestyles55radio.ca

Marshall Murdock, a member of the Fisher Lake Cree Nation, will tell us how he left the reserve to become a barber and ended up as a banker and now a member of the Board of the Northern Transportation corridor, Neestanan. Former transportation minister, Doyle Piwniuk, will also explain why supporting the transportation infrastructure is so important to our province and its future. More to come in the

months ahead as we explore the exciting world of issues and accomplishments of our older generation.

The Gardener

The Gardener is back with a whole new lineup of shows. Your old friend Kevin Twomey is never far from the mic when it comes to gardening, and we have a new show with the evereffervescent Shea Doherty who loves his plants as though they were babies.

Backyard birder, Sherry Versluis gives us timely advice on what to feed our feathered friends, while Jan Pedersen talks shrubs and more.

We will be speaking with gardener and chef, Ian Leatt, about how he planned his recently published cookbook around the seasons and the herbs that are available as the months pass. Ian is a monthly contributor to Lifestyles.

Doyle Piwniuk News from Turtle Mountain