Canada, long known for its vast landscapes and welcoming nature, faces a growing crisis that threatens the stability and affordability of housing across the nation. As the country continues to embrace high levels of immigration, the demand for housing has surged, exacerbating an already strained market. This increased demand, coupled with policy missteps and insufficient supply, has created a perfect storm that prevents home prices from stabilizing, let alone decreasing.
Immigration has been a cornerstone of Canada’s growth and diversity. The federal government’s com-
Creepy crawlies
Check your dog for ticks
Every day, dozens of animals cross the doorstep of a general practice clinic. The reasons vary from wellness to gastro-intestinal concerns, to itch. However, regardless of the original concern, this year has brought such a large influx of ticks found incidentally during physical exams that they seem to have become a daily topic of conversation.
These vile arachnids (they are considered arachnids due to their eight legs and lack of antennas) are becoming more and more common in the province. Unfortu-
nately, when it comes to ticks and tick-borne diseases, data collected every year repeatably delivers bad news. Not only has climate change
allowed the geographic distribution of the different tick species to increase dramatically, but the percentage of ticks carrying disease also continues to increase.
When asked to name a tickborne disease, most people can think of Lyme disease. However, the little creatures can transmit many more diseases, including many bacterial, parasitic and even viral pathogens. In addition, they can transmit more than one type in a single blood meal. As humans, we can usually find and remove the
Often when people think of the City of Steinbach they think of vehicles. Steinbach has been very purposely associated with vehicles and no small amount of time and money has been spent in branding it the Automobile City. Many years ago, local auto dealers put aside their individual competitiveness and came together on a marketing campaign to encourage people, primarily from Winnipeg, that Steinbach was “Worth the Trip” to purchase a vehicle. And if you didn’t know it already, to remind you, when you drive into the community from Winnipeg on Highway #12 there is a giant replica of a 1931 Rolls Royce Roadster with the “Automobile City” slogan underneath.
So, why is it that a community so connected to cars seems to have almost as much traffic in the sky? Without fanfare, Steinbach has become something of a flying hub in Manitoba.
Much of this history goes back more than 50 years through Harv’s Air Service in Steinbach. Harv’s Air operates a private airport in the community (the other is a municipal airport) and has been training pilots for decades. With two runways and a strong fleet of aircraft, the airport is
Romel Dhalla
Kelvin Goertzen
u canada’s housing crisis
Continued from page 1
While this influx is essential for addressing domestic labor and skills shortages, it has also placed an immense strain on the housing market, particularly in major urban centers like Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal, where demand has outpaced the availability of affordable homes.
The federal government has attempted to address this issue by massively funding housing subsidies and programs aimed at making homeownership more attainable. These measures include enhancements to the National Housing Strategy and investments in affordable housing projects. Despite these efforts, the reality on the ground tells a different story. The average home price in Canada remains stubbornly high at $733,000 and so, for many Canadians, the dream of owning a home is slipping further out of reach.
One of the critical reasons for the failure of these policies is the mismatch between the supply of new housing and the rate of population growth. While the government has introduced initiatives to stimulate housing construction, the pace at which new homes are being built is insufficient to meet the burgeoning demand. According to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), Canada needs to build an additional 3.5 million homes by 2030 to restore affordability. However, the current rate of construction falls woefully short of this target. Regulatory hurdles, labor shortages, and the rising cost of construction materials have all contributed to the sluggish increase in housing supply. As a result, even with subsidies, the limited availability of homes keeps prices elevated.
Furthermore, Canada’s carbon tax and taxes on gasoline and energy further complicate the housing crisis by driving up construction costs. Introduced to combat climate change, the carbon tax imposes a fee on carbon emissions, which translates to higher costs for materials and transportation, and unfortunately without having any impact on carbon emissions. The tax on gasoline and energy similarly affects the price of fuel, a critical component for the heavy machinery and transporta-
tion involved in home building. These increased costs are inevitably passed on to consumers, making new homes even more expensive, again without having any positive impact to the environment. According to the Canadian Home Builders’ Association, these taxes can add thousands of dollars to the cost of constructing a single-family home. While the goal of these taxes is to encourage more sustainable practices, they inadvertently place additional financial strain on an already overburdened housing market, further impeding efforts to make housing affordable for Canadians.
The federal government’s focus on subsidizing demand rather than addressing supply constraints is a fundamental flaw. Policies that make it easier to buy homes without significantly increasing the number of homes available only serve to inflate prices further. A more effective approach would be to tackle the root causes of the housing shortage by streamlining regulations for new developments, investing in infrastructure to support higher density living, and incentivizing the construction of housing. This should go hand in hand with eliminating entirely ineffective carbon taxes that exacerbate inflation and push costs of housing even higher.
The situation is further complicated by the unique dynamics of Canada’s housing market, where foreign investment plays a significant role. In cities like Vancouver and Toronto, foreign buyers have historically driven up prices, making it even harder for local residents to compete. Although the government has implemented measures, such as taxes on vacant properties and non-resident buyers, to curb foreign investment, these steps have had limited impact in cooling the market. For instance, the speculation and vacancy tax in British Columbia, introduced in 2018, has had some success in targeting empty homes, but housing affordability remains a significant challenge.
Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped housing demand in unexpected ways. Remote work has enabled many Canadians to move away from
densely populated urban centers to more affordable regions, leading to a surge in prices in previously less competitive markets. According to the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), the average home price in Canada rose by 13.1% year-over-year as of December 2022, with significant increases in smaller cities and rural areas. This shift has further complicated the supply-demand imbalance and underscores the need for a diversified approach to housing policy that considers regional variations.
The rental market has not been spared from these challenges. High home prices have forced many would-be buyers to remain renters, putting additional pressure on rental availability and affordability.
Data from the CMHC reveals that the national vacancy rate for rental apartments fell to 2.2% in 2021, the lowest in decades. In major cities, the situation is even more dire, with vacancy rates in Toronto and Vancouver hovering around 1%. The tight rental market has led to steep rent increases, making it difficult for lower-income families and young professionals to find affordable housing.
Moreover, homelessness has become a growing concern. A report by the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness estimates that on any given night, over 35,000 Canadians experience homelessness. The lack of affordable housing options, coupled with rising living costs, has pushed many vulnerable individuals and families to the brink. Despite government efforts to increase funding for homelessness prevention and support services, the demand for such services continues to outstrip supply. It’s difficult to understand how so many policies that are, in fact, destroying the country and impoverishing Canadians, are still supported by the Government.
To address these multifaceted issues, a comprehensive and coordinated approach is essential. One potential solution lies in significantly increasing the supply of housing through public-private partnerships and targeted investments. The federal government could play a crucial role by providing incentives for developers to build housing of any kind without burdensome and ineffective qualifiers for affordability and by investing in critical infrastructure to support new developments on a much larger scale than they are currently and
with more even more funding. Additionally, revising zoning laws to allow for higher-density housing in urban areas could help alleviate some of the pressure on housing supply. Another important aspect is the need for better integration of immigration and housing policies. While immigration is vital for Canada’s economic growth, it is crucial to ensure that the infrastructure, including housing, can support the growing population. This might involve setting more realistic immigration targets in line with housing capacity or implementing measures to spread the population growth more evenly across the country, rather than concentrating it in already strained urban centers, and implement measures to maintain it.
Canada’s housing crisis is a complex problem that requires a multifaceted and collaborative approach. While immigration remains a vital component of the country’s economic strategy, its impact on housing demand cannot be ignored. Federal subsidies and incentives, as they currently stand, are insufficient to address the core issues of supply and affordability and especially when countered by ineffective taxes on energy production and consumption. Without bold action to increase the housing stock and make affordable homes truly accessible, the average Canadian will continue to face an uphill battle in securing a place to call home. Addressing this crisis will require a concerted effort from all levels of government and the private sector to ensure that Canada remains a place where everyone has the opportunity to find a safe and affordable place to live.
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.
little buggers relatively quickly, but on our dogs, they will sometimes remain attached for days or even weeks, which dramatically increases the chance of disease transmission
In Manitoba dogs, the diseases that we primarily see are caused by strange and unusual bacteria. Lyme disease is the most common, but we also see a lot of Anaplasmosis and Ehrlichiosis. The Blacklegged species of ticks are the primary vectors for both the bacteria causing Lyme disease (Borrelia Burgdorferi), as well as the ricketssial bacteria causing Anaplasmosis (Anaplasma phagocytophilum). Alternatively, the primary vectors for the Ehrlichiosis-causing ricketssial bacterium (Ehrlichia canis, E chaffeensis and E. ewingi) are primarily the Brown dog and the American dog ticks, although the newcomer to Manitoba, the Lone Star Tick, can also transmit it.
In general, the world of tick-borne diseases is full of unusual pathogens that cause
non-specific, waxing and waning fevers and malaise symptoms. They are difficult to diagnose and a vast majority cause only sub-clinical (or mostly asymptomatic) disease. In addition, even when diagnosed, it isn’t always indicated to treat. Indeed, many veterinary consensus statements advise against doing so unless certain additional clinical parameters are found in urine or blood. This is due to concerns about overuse of antibiotics, costs, side-effects of the long course of treatment, as well as the ability of many animals to simply clear the infection. That being said, in many cases, we find ourselves with either a complete lack of symptoms, or severe illness requiring intensive medical care, which is a difficult position to face.
Why talk about this? In clinical practice, we will often hear clients mention that they have never seen a tick on their dog, or that they never leave their yard. Yet year after year, and this year has been particularly significant, we find increasing numbers of ticks
on animals that have never had a perceived need for tick prevention in the past. In addition, while recommended due to the concerning data about ticks, a majority of dog owners forego their yearly blood test checking for these diseases.
We recommend talking to your veterinarian about tick prevention. Weigh the pros and cons of using them and consider re-evaluating your dog’s risk based on the changing landscape of tick distribution, even if you’ve never used them in the past. In addition, if your dog’s risk level will change dramatically even for a short period of time (for example, a weekend camping trip), consider whether a one-time preventative could save you a headache in the future. There are many products available and while there are some risks, your veterinarian will help you choose a product you are comfortable with. And finally, consider regular testing for the health of your pet.
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
Romel Dhalla On The Money
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ISSUES IN THE NEWS
Feelings – do we really want to live in a “perfect” world?
Did June seem particularly frantic to you? Everyone was so, so busy, the days absolutely dissolved into a race to get the garden planted, the need to get some work done, and a list of personal to-dos to be addressed...I feel like I really need some calm and quiet in my life … but there I go, saying “feel” instead of “think” or “believe” or “see”.
Dorothy Dobbie
I was thinking about feelings the other day as I listened to a news program on the radio. The broadcaster was constantly using the word “feel” and it occurred to me that this is the response most interviewers demand of everyone they interview. They don’t ask, What do you think? What happened? What do you know? Why did it happen? Instead, you get, “How does it feel to watch the Edmonton Oilers lose the game?” How did you feel about having to leave your home to escape the forest fire?” How did you feel about losing your leg in the accident?” Makes you want to choke.
Not that this excuse-for-newsgathering is new. I remember back in the dark ages when I won an award – I think it was business citizen of the year – and CBC’s Leslie Hughes asked me how it “felt” to win the award. I “felt” the question was completely idiotic and was unable to give a coherent answer. (I felt surprised.) Her follow up question was even more off putting. She wanted to know why I “felt” they had awarded it to me. What are you supposed to say? I said I had no idea. (Not really what she was after.)
Still, the focus on “feelings” has become a preoccupation for many, many people today. I don’t know why. After all, feelings are spontaneous and often predictable, and they usually have very little to do with issue under scrutiny. Why does it matter how you felt when your house was lost to a forest fire? Wouldn’t better questions be, where did you go, how did you get away, what will you do now?
This concern about feelings extends to how children are raised today. It seems to me that the overconcentration on how the child “feels” about things is damaging to their emotional growth and their ability to cope in future life. Of course we don’t want our child to feel hurt, but some hurt feelings are healthy and necessary in learning how to cope with the disappointments that we will all encounter in life.
For some reason, humanity continues to search for an unrealistic and impossible to achieve utopia where everyone is always happy, where bad things never happen, and where we live a “perfect” life. But imagine what the world would be like if those dreams were realized.
In this world, everyone would be equal and eternally
happy. There would be no strife, no hurt feelings, no disagreement, no need to do anything but explore one’s idea of pleasure. Ira Levant wrote about this 55 years ago when he penned the dystopian novel, This Perfect Day: “Uniformity is the defining feature; there is only one language and all ethnic groups have been eugenically merged into one race called “The Family”. The world is ruled by a central computer called UniComp that has been programmed to keep every single human on the surface of the earth happy. People are continually drugged by means of regular injections so that they can never realize their potential as human beings but will remain satisfied and cooperative. They are told where to live, when to eat, whom to marry, when to reproduce, even the basic facts of nature are subject to the UniComp's will – men do not grow facial hair, women do not develop breasts, and it only rains at night.”
Sounds a bit familiar, doesn’t it? But this is a world built on “feelings” instead of reason, logic and realizing that adversity makes us stronger, happiness can only be achieved when you experience unhappiness, and that people are not equal, but instead are wonderfully diverse.
I empathize with your feelings, good or bad, but I also respect your right to have them and to not use them to dictate how I run my life or what I think. If we disagree, let’s do it with respect and understanding that there are many factors and influences dictating our opinions beyond how we “feel” about them.
With that off my chest, let’s get back to the beginning of two months of blissful summer where we northerners can bathe in the sunlight and listen to nature tell us how life should be: filled with hard work, striving for survival, but joy in accomplishment, in loving others and in pausing occasionally to be happy just being us. Feels good, eh?
It's summer – get out there and enjoy some garden therapy!
Should immigration be paused?
Canada was built on immigration and newcomers have always been encouraged and welcomed. But the ambitious plans of the current government, together with an open-door policy for nontraditional immigrants, has seen Canada’s population grow by one million people in 2022.
The numbers have ballooned. Canada’s population is reported to now be 40.5 million and we aren’t stopping there. Immigration targets this year are 485,000. This does not count the students who are here on study permits (360,000 have so far been approved for 2024, and that is a reduction of 35% over 2023). Government has not in the past set a target or a limit on temporary foreign workers, but some estimates put the joint total for foreign workers and students at 2.5 million. These numbers do not include the illegal border crossers and those who came to the country seeking asylum. Apparently, there are 1.8 million of these folks, of whom only a shocking 3% have been approved. The rest are still here, waiting.
Given these few facts (this is just a quick scan), is it any wonder that we do not have enough housing? That housing is so expensive, new entrants into the market are being shut out and yet also can’t afford the high rents of some cities? That there are, according to some estimates, 150,000 to 300,000 people living on the street, (up from 35,000 in 2019).
not all have legal employment status. Elderly parents and children swell the numbers but don’t add to capacity. It takes at least ten years to balance needs with contributions even for landed immigrants paying full taxes and earning a decent living.
An immigration pause is no magic bullet, and it doesn’t mean zero immigration. Careful thought should go into who should be paused and those who should be allowed in for say the next five to seven years, focussing on the needs of those already here – it is no picnic if you finally get in and discover there is no place to live!
Is all this because of immigration? No. There are several systemic issues that have given rise to this crisis, not excluding the COVID shutdown, but the sudden acceleration of new people into the economy has put a severe strain on our infrastructure. This includes not only health services but less obvious services such as roads, water and sewer, electricity, and home heating to mention just a few, and all of these require expansion to accommodate the rapidly burgeoning numbers. Gearing up for this requires time and resources.
But you ask, won’t these new people increase our capacity by adding to the labour pool and by paying taxes through their employment? That is the ideal but there are many, many undocumented immigrants now in the country and
continued immigration to canada
If you’re like me, you’ve been amazed and impressed by all of the new people coming to Canada from Ukraine, India, Nigeria, the Philippines, China and more. Some are here permanently while others are staying for temporary jobs or just for school. It makes me proud to be part of a country that hosts so many people and I think it should continue.
Dobbie vs Dobbie
During that time, it is up to all three levels of government to put their heads together, harmonize practices and housing industry permits, calculate the community infrastructure requirement at all levels, focus on where the labour needs are most urgent, and prepare workers for jobs in home construction and hard infrastructure development.
In the third quarter of last year, the job vacancy rate in housing construction was more than 5% and productivity is down. It now takes more workers longer to do the same job – you may have noticed how long it takes to build an apartment block today or even to repave your local street. I am not blaming the workers – much of this has to do with overregulation and, some say, an aging workforce. Planners are looking at how to encourage young people, including women, to go into the trades. Others are proposing the use of more prefab building techniques and homes, a short-term fix as many of the prefab parts are built in third world countries. We recruit foreign nurses, why can’t we recruit more foreign construction workers?
Whatever happens, a pause in immigration will at least slow the demand and allow time to formulate a fix using all strategies we can muster. Time for some rational approaches to the problem or all people living in Canada, citizen or not, will suffer the consequences.
Lately, though, we have hosted many more new people than in the past. Canada admitted more than a million people in the last nine months of 2023. Throughout 2023, we added 3.2 percent—1,271,872— to our population. Of that, only 30,525 came from “natural increases”, or births minus deaths; the rest were permanent or non-permanent immigrants.
The federal government has announced new caps on immigration, attempting to allow no more than five percent of the country’s population overall in non-permanent residents, including students, workers and families. We currently have around 380,000 people more than this cap would allow. Since Canada isn’t the kind of country to expel individuals already here, five percent seems like a far-off goal. (I’m okay with that.)
construction tradespeople to come to Canada. They may not be enough, and they will take a bit of time to work. With medical sciences, we have the added issue of ensuring that new professionals are trained to provide care in the way that Manitobans require. This doesn’t mean they need to attend years of school in Canada; passing comprehensive exams should be enough. With construction, maybe a year of a college program would be sufficient to give individuals the required knowledge of Canadian standards and differences.
New Canadians bring new ideas and establish businesses, contributing to economic diversity and innovation. Small and medium-sized enterprises started by immigrants can create job opportunities. At the same time, an increase in population through immigration expands the consumer base, driving demand for goods and services and stimulating local economies.
People say it’s an infrastructure problem. We don’t have enough housing and doctors to handle so many people and it takes a few years to get up to speed. My issue is this: how will we meet the challenge of creating housing and doctors without the pressure of already having too many people here? And how will we do it with a smaller workforce than we have right now?
There’s a joke about a fellow whose roof needs fixing. When asked about it, he says: “When it’s raining, it’s too wet to go up there. And when it’s dry, it’s as good as any man’s roof!” In short, without the immediate need for new housing and medical staff, I suspect we will give up on the effort to find it.
There are currently programs in place to encourage medical professionals and
Living the dream at Meighen Estates in Portage La Prairie!
Ayear and a half ago we moved from Winnipeg to Portage la Prairie. I used to say when it came time to move into a 55+ place I couldn’t live in an apartment-style home. It would have to be a side-by-side bungalow type for me to move. Well never say never. We moved into Meighen Estates a twelve-unit three floor apartment style home and do not regret the decision one bit. The transition from a two-storey house to a 1667 sq. ft. space at Meighen Estates was easy because it is like a bungalow except it is three floors of bungalow type layouts. Friends coming to visit are amazed when they walk in and see how large and well laid out the plan is. We have two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a heated sunroom, outdoor deck, and plenty of storage space both in the apartment and in the heated main floor parkade. Unlike oth-
er apartments you can’t hear any noise from your neighbors. The heated parkade is a real bonus with our Manitoba winters, and it is included in the rent.
The convenience of living here has really made a difference to the hustle and bustle of living in Winnipeg. We have the walkway along the lake, a beautiful park, Stride Place Complex with a huge gym, swimming pools, skating rinks, golf course, and all within five minutes. The new hospital is just down the street. The fabulous modern library, Prairie Fusion Arts & Entertainment Centre, shops, grocery stores, restaurants are minutes away. With the price of gas, these things are important. We can still enjoy events happening in Winnipeg. The short drive is easier and faster than driving from one end of Winnipeg to the other, especially during rush hour.
The rent is less than what we were paying for the monthly maintenance costs for our house and we are free from the worries of the upkeep. It is a great feeling when we head to the lake and all we have to
Here is what recent immigrants and their families don’t do: they don’t commit crimes. In fact, the longer recent immigrants live in a place, the further down the crime rate goes. (Don’t believe me? Read the study for yourself: “Immigration and crime: Evidence from Canada” by Haimin Zhang, 2014.) They don’t steal jobs. Study after study shows immigration does not lead to higher unemployment rates among native-born workers. In fact, by contributing to economic growth, immigrants can help create more jobs in the long run.
These new Canadians also contribute to the cultural mosaic of Manitoba, bringing diverse perspectives and experiences that can enhance community life and foster mutual understanding. Multicultural communities lead to a richer social fabric, with various cultural festivals, cuisines, and traditions becoming part of the local culture.
The history of Manitoba is chock-ablock with success stories of immigrant families thriving in here, contributing to local communities, and becoming integral parts of society. Continued immigration is essential for Manitoba's economic vitality, social diversity, and demographic stability. It ensures a dynamic, prosperous future for the province.
Dorothy Dobbie Shauna Dobbie
Janice hyde
do is turn the key and go. If you are thinking about simplifying your life by moving into a 55+ place I encourage you to think about Portage La Prairie and Meighen Estates. We love it.
Janice Hyde is a former Winnipegger who has discovered the beauty of living outside the city.
Joys and perils of driving to our north
Part Two, the Perils!
Volker beckmann
Province removes toilet facilities because of maintenance costs and replaces them with porta potties. Apparently, the pennypinching administration on Broadway doesn’t think porta potties need maintenance . . .
As truck traffic carrying cargo north has become busier over the last 15 to 20 years, the number of single and double length semi-trailer trucks has increased. In winter, passing or following a semi with snow billowing behind can be a white-knuckle experience. There have been too many accidents. Apparently, Highway 6 is the only highway in all of Canada that allows these long “rocky mountain doubles” on single lane highways. It is certainly better NOT to pass one in winter in snowy conditions. Of course, on four-lane divided highways like the Trans-Canada, it is much safer.
In 2022, a group of concerned northern residents formed a Safer Highway 6 Citizens Action Group and raised a petition of 6,300 names demanding that the Province of Manitoba undertake numerous improvements to make the highway safer. If Sweden, Ireland, and Australia could implement road improvements defined by iRAP, International Road Assessment Program, then why could Manitoba not do that? Sweden has reduced their accidents and deaths by 50-70% by following iRAP standards. Northern Ontario is reviewing the same standards. It is time for Manitoba to do the same.
The Petition Group presented a brief with specific recommendations that included wider shoulders to park at the side of the road in safety, passing lanes to pass a semi in safety, better cell service for emergencies, and clean and well maintained rest stops with garbage bins, as well as a 2 + 1 lane system that Sweden has adopted. In discussions with the previous government, they began to explore options, but nothing came about.
Ponton has been and is a key service stop on Highway 6 some 160 kilometres south of Thompson. For 40 years it was a gas and bus stop with restaurant, washrooms and
Gotta go? Here's where to stop at Devil's Lake Wayside Park. Wonder how his is going to get accessed in winter?
a small hotel that served the traveling public well whether heading south or north. Even visitors traveling from Alberta or Saskatchewan on the route to Thompson pass through Ponton and use its services. It has had several private owners and was sold some 15 years ago to the Cross Lake Indian Band or Pimichikamak Cree Nation.
Unfortunately, the whole complex burned down in July 2018 and has still not been rebuilt. The Band has struggled with financial, insurance, environmental, and regulatory issues. Would a private operator have been able to rebuild them sooner? When it eventually gets rebuilt, the owners need to include fast speed EV charging as that’s where the future of transportation is heading. Currently, there is no such charging infrastructure between Winnipeg and Thompson. Most small towns and First Nations cannot afford to do that, but that’s another story to tell.
For the rubber tire traffic, the lack of Ponton’s services and washrooms is a hindrance to travel to Manitoba’s north. More so, Devil’s Lake is a pretty little Wayside Park about an hour south of Grand Rapids. A few years ago, the province removed the outdoor toilets because of vandalism. Now there is only one rest room facility between Wabowden and St. Martin, a distance of nearly 450 km. Which means people have to stop and have a pee or poop in the bush (sorry)! Northerners traveling south have found unpleasant solutions as they know they
have no other choice. This long route can be a very unpleasant situation for elderly people, children, and people with health issues. Visitors from the USA and southern Canada look at a GPS map and think there are rest stops at Devil’s Lake and Ponton. Not so.
Two years ago, I asked the Minister of Transportation why they would dismantle them? His answer was they could not afford the toilet bowl vandalism and wanted the private sector to provide that. That year, the Province spent $100 million on road and bridge improvements down south and couldn’t fix northern toilets? Or find a vandalism proof solution as Newfoundland has done on their long remote highways? How do we welcome tourists to drive to “friendly” Northern Manitoba without public clean, safe, sanitary rest stops as we had for decades?
Recently, our new government has announced a “solution”. As of this month, Devil’s Lake now has two portapotties! Which does beg some questions: would YOU use them? Who will clean them all year around? What happens when someone pushes them over as is bound to happen? Do we now put up a facetious warning sign after leaving Ashern that you may have to use the toilet facilities in the great outdoors? If you are bringing a camper, you do have a solution. Not every traveler comes with those.
My wife and I went on an incredible African safari experience a few years ago to photograph lions, rhinos, leopards, etc. After bouncing around in an open 4 x 4 for several hours, the need for a bathroom break became urgent. We asked if there was a washroom close by. The guide’s answer was “Behind every tree is a washroom.” Yah, right! With a possible lion lurking nearby? Well, maybe hiding behind a tree works in northern Manitoba in the summer. But try that in the winter when it’s -20°C and huge snow banks on the sides of the road!
All in all, to spur economic growth in the north, increase visitations, retain longtime residents, this province needs a safer and cleaner Highway 6. It’s for the health and welfare of everyone. Porta-potties are a start and certainly better than nothing. Let’s wait until the end of this year to see how that works, and what will be next year’s plans for safer highways to reduce fatigue, accidents, and deaths on Highway 6?
Pitblado Law history mirrors history of Winnipeg
William C. Gardner KC has a family history that goes back in Winnipeg 120 years. It seems fitting that the senior partner at Pitblado Law is a member of one of two law firms that go back historically that far and more.
And Pitblado – one of our city’s two oldest laws firms (matched only by MLT Aikins) continues to grow and evolve. Today, Pitblado Law proudly includes over 60 lawyers and over 70 staff including paralegals, administrative management, legal assistants and various support services, ready and capable of responding to client needs now and well into the future.
of kidney failure at a relatively young age.
Isaac Pitblado, for whom the firm is now named, was originally from Halifax. He arrived in Winnipeg in 1882 to attend the University of Manitoba. He was called to the Manitoba Bar in 1890 and, ironically, he first became a partner that same year in the law firm of Aikins, Culver & Company, J.A.M. Aikins being the founder of MLT Aikins. The firm was first rechristened Aikins, Culver & Pitblado and, later, in 1900, renamed Aikins, Pitblado, Robson & Loftus.
Celebrating
150 years of Winnipeg
What is now Pitblado was founded in 1882 when a lawyer named Francis Beverley Robertson opened a law firm in downtown Winnipeg. According to the Manitoba Historical Society Archives, Robinson was a second-generation lawyer. Originally from Dundas, Ontario, Robertson first appeared in Winnipeg in 1881 and was called to the Bar in the province in 1882. At the time, the city had a population of 8,500, of whom 40 were lawyers. Almost immediately, Robertson began taking on partners. The firm first became known as Robertson, Andrews and Howard. After the addition of more partners in 1884, the firm changed its name to Robertson, Campbell and Crawford.
Robertson’s most prominent case was his defense of the Aboriginal leaders who fought with Louis Riel in the second Riel Rebellion in Saskatchewan in 1885. He was able to get an acquittal for one, but the others were convicted. Shortly after, he returned to Ontario and subsequently died
In 1903, Pitblado left Aikins and joined forces with Colin Campbell, the former partner of F.B. Robertson. The new firm was Campbell, Pitblado, Hoskin & Grundy.
(Colin Campbell ran for public office, winning a seat in the Manitoba Legislature. He became the Manitoba AttorneyGeneral and served as both the Minister of Education and the Minister of Public Works. During his public service. He introduced a resolution for the northern extension of Manitoba's provincial boundaries, which resulted in Manitoba's present size.)
After Campbell’s passing in 1914, the Firm became known as Pitblado Hoskin and Company.
Isaac Pitblado became a very prominent member of the community. Among his many roles was that of vice-president of the Canadian Bar Association, president of the Manitoba Law Society, Registrar of the University of Manitoba (1893 to 1900), a Member of the University of Manitoba Council starting in 1888 and Chairman of the Board of Governors for the University of Manitoba. He was also selected in 1918
as one of the Commissioners for Manitoba on Uniformity of Laws and served on a number of Royal Commissions. He was a member of the prosecution team in the trial of nine leaders of the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike.
In 1927, Isaac Pitblado was joined in practice by his son, Edward.
In the mid-1950s, the Firm was retained as counsel in Manitoba for International Nickel Company (INCO) in its multi-million-dollar development at Thompson, Manitoba. INCO had to build more than a mine; it had to create the entire town as well. The development involved the construction of a branch line off the Hudson Bay Railway, construction of an airport, the development of the town site with provision of water, roads, sewage facilities, construction of homes, schools and a hospital. Erskine Hoskin, Pitblado’s longtime partner, masterminded the entire operation and acted as lead counsel for the firm on behalf of INCO.
Hoskin passed away in 1960, at the age of 88, and Isaac Pitblado followed in 1964 at 97 years of age. Pitblado had remained active in the firm until just a few months before his passing.
Bill Gardner joined the practice in 1980. The son of the prominent lawyer William C. Gardner Q.C., himself a member of the Pitblado firm, the younger Gardner has degrees from Princeton and the University of Toronto’s Osgoode Hall law School as well as the University of Manitoba Faculty of Law. He had been in practice for a short time with a couple of law firms in Toronto before he and his wife decided to come back to Winnipeg in 1980.
Gardner reports that the modern-day version of Pitblado Law began in 1998 after the merger of Pitblado & Hoskin and Buchwald Asper Gallagher Henteleff. Each of Pitblado & Hoskin and Buchwald
Asper Gallagher Henteleff were themselves formed after a series of mergers. Buchwald Henteleff and Zitzerman was founded in 1966 while Israel Asper was –at that time – a partner in Asper Freedman and Company. The two firms merged in 1970 under the name Buchwald, Asper, Henteleff, Zitzerman, Goodwin, Greene & Shead. While Asper was soon after to become the leader of the provincial Liberal party and founder, in 1977, of CanWest Global Communications Corporation, the late Harold Buchwald and Yudi Henteleff (who was profiled in Lifestyles 55 about a year ago) were also prominent community leaders.
(Among other well-known Pitblado former team members have been Manitoba Premier Sterling Lyon, Gerry Schwartz O.C., the founder, chair and CEO of Onex Corporation, and, Brian Bowman, our most recent Mayor.)
The Gallagher name was added after another merger in 1993. The merger was a major news story at the time, Gardner recalls.
In May 1986, the Firm, then known as Buchwald Asper Henteleff, opened its new offices on the 24th and 25th floors of the Commodity Exchange Tower at 360 Main Street. The new firm, simplified to Pitblado Law in 2002, continues to operate out of these offices.
In recent years, Gardner notes, the firm, which offers the complete gamut of legal services, has begun extending its services to more distant rural areas of the province beginning with an office in the northern community of Arborg.
Throughout the decades, Pitblado has placed a strong emphasis on three core values – relationships, respect and results – which are reflected in the firm’s newly redesigned corporate website.
“We operate on a collegial basis,” Gardner says. “And we all like each other.”
Myron Love
u Look up…Way UP!
a busy place with air taxi and maintenance services also being offered.
In fact, international students from around the world have been coming to live and train at Harv’s Air for many years. Now in cooperation with Providence College University, certificate, diploma and degree programs are available for those training to be pilots. What this means is that at most times of the day in Steinbach, if you look up in the sky you are likely to see a plane making its maneuvers and often taking off and touching down several times as pilots get in their training.
Perhaps even more surprising to some, there are many afternoons where you can sit on your deck at your home in Steinbach and watch world class aerobatics. That’s because Steinbach is home to one of Canada’s best aerobatic pilots in Luke Penner. Luke has been competing in aerobatics for nearly a decade and has been successful in competitions across North America. He has been previously named the Canadian National Champion several times and was
captain of Team Canada when they competed at the World Advanced Aerobatic Championships in Las Vegas last year. More than just competing, Luke now also trains up and coming aerobatic pilots, doing so in Iceland recently.
Through these connections Steinbach was, last year, able to play host to the 2nd Annual Central Canada Aerobatic Championships. This was a full weekend event hosted at the Steinbach Airport that brought out hundreds of spectators to watch the competitors.
Steinbach’s reputation of being a city that is reaching for the sky grew last month when it hosted their Taste of Steinbach dinner for 500 at the Steinbach Airport. The entertainment for that evening surprised many visitors as they were instructed to look up, way up, and watch the aerobatic demonstration that was about to take place several hundred feet in the sky above Steinbach. In addition to the incredible local food, it was a unique way to feature the diverse and unknown aspects of the community for many visitors.
Transportation has always factored heavily into the history of the City of Steinbach. Many residents are familiar with trucking firms such as Penner International or formerly Reimer Express Lines which helped to move goods across North America. As already mentioned, the automobile has also been closely connected to Steinbach and its retail economy as well. But as the world continues to rely more on airline transport for moving both goods and people, the need for pilots and therefore flight training continues to grow. And Steinbach has been working to fill that need as well.
The next time you are in Steinbach, don’t forget to take a look at the giant car that welcomes you when you drive in near the Clearspring Village Mall. And by all means, the Steinbach auto dealers would welcome your business if you were in the market for a vehicle. But remember to also look up in the sky because you may very well see a pilot training to be your next captain on a future commercial flight or a plane doing aerobatic maneuvers.
After all, there are many reasons that Steinbach is worth the trip.
Kelvin Goertzen is the current MLA for the constituency of Steinbach. He has served in several Cabinet roles including Manitoba Premier and Deputy Premier
Po R ta G e L a P R ai R ie Living benefits – what are they and why are they so important?
Life insurance protects your dependents when you die. Living benefits, as the words would imply, are insurance contracts that protect those who are financially dependent and the insured as well.
Living benefits can be provided through group benefit packages by some employers. But for self-employed people or those working without a group benefit package or retired people, insurance can be available through individual contracts. Retirees would benefit most from long-term care or individual health insurance. Applicants may have to complete medical questionnaires and be approved to qualify for coverage. Not all insurance companies offer coverage, so it is important to discuss these options with your financial advisor.
covered condition. The insured must be healthy when they buy it of course and sometimes a family history of poor health can affect an applicant’s chances of being approved, but if you can get approved the critical illness benefit could be a savior to protecting the financial well being of the entire family.
Disability insurance can protect the monthly income of working people. There are many different levels, types and quality of coverage depending on the type of work, the stability of the work and the time the insured has been working in a particular field. However, it may be the most important living benefit product.
Tom Hyde Estate Planning Tips
Examples of products used to protect an insured and their family are critical illness insurance, disability insurance, long term care insurance and individual health insurance.
Critical illness insurance is designed to provide a tax-free lump sum payment to the insured if they are diagnosed by a professional medical practitioner with a
If you can’t work, where will the money come from.
The benefit is paid when the insured person cannot work and meets the specific definition of disability in the contract. Some of the better policies cover people for injury and sickness.
The most common policies mirror the coverage provided through group benefit packages and end at age 65.
Long term care insurance is for individuals who want to protect their financial stability and quality of life over and above what the government programs will provide. A monthly benefit is paid to claimants to cover nursing costs. It could be applied to home care costs that exceed government services.
The benefits are that you could remain in your home longer and you could prevent the depletion of your retirement savings.
Individual Health insurance can protect against a catastrophic increase in prescription drug costs or other major health expenses. Like long term disability, health insurance can mirror what is commonly offered through group benefit plans.
You can customize your coverage from basic to comprehensive as your needs and financial resources may require.
All these products can bring peace of mind and protect your retirement savings from an unexpected and rapid depletion.
Tom Hyde CFP BScAg CAFA Tom is a financial advisor operates Pallister Financial, a financial services company in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba
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.
Manitoba’s first potash mine takes shape
Ihave always called myself a proud Western Manitoban who has lived most of my time along the Manitoba/Saskatchewan border. I was born and raised in the Russell/Asessippi area of Manitoba where I lived for the first twenty years, then spent seven years in Winnipeg, then purchased an Insurance Agency in Virden and lived there for over 30 years. You always have a special spot in your heart where you were born and raised. Russell and Western Manitoba have always been home to me, especially after weeks in Winnipeg during our Legislative Session in the fall and spring, it is nice to travel west of the city. Growing up on a dairy farm in the Dropmore/ Shellmouth area was very hard work with a huge commitment to milk the cows twice a day and do a lot of other farm chores. My dad, Fred, first started to work in the construction industry while building up the farm inventory and to help pay for the land he purchased from my grandfather. Some of the construction projects that he worked on included the Shellmouth Dam, many bridges in the region, and the potash mines in Esterhazy, Saskatchewan.
When the potash mine was completed, the company offered him a fulltime job at the new mine. He declined the offer because he was determined to build up the dairy farm that he always dreamed about. While growing up on the farm, my dad always had an interest in the potash mining industry, and his brother-in-law and two of his nephews worked in the potash mine in Esterhazy. His son, my brother Kelly, and his two nieces are currently working at the mine there.
One day, when my dad and I were driving 10 miles south of the farm, he indicated that the Manitoba Government was drilling sample holes in the Harrowby area for a potential potash mine. He always wanted to see a new mine in Manitoba but, unfortunately, he was never to see that happen. He passed away from cancer in 2005. He was not alone in his dreams, though. Since Sterling Lyon, Manitoba premiers have talked about creating a new mine in the Russell area, but nothing happened until our first female Premier, Heather Stefanson, made it happen. She made the announcement in 2022 at an international mining conference in Toronto.
When I first became the MLA for Arthur-Virden in 2014 and later when we took over government in 2016, I had the opportunity to meet with Daymon Guillas at one of a mutual friend’s cabin in the Shell Valley to talk about the dream that Daymon, along with a few other investors, had to build the first potash mine west of Russell in at the old town site of Harrowby.
Daymon filled me in on all the work he and his team had done before we took government. Daymon and his team encountered huge challenges trying to get the mining department of the provincial government to allow his company, Potash and Agri Development Corporation of Manitoba (PADCOM), to give them the opportunity to test drill the current site for the first potash solution mining in Manitoba. After years of trying, in the fall of 2021 the provincial government finally gave them a license to drill in the area where they had a core sample of potash from back when the provincial government first drilled for test sites in the 1980s. In the winter of 2022, they were successful in reaching the potash vein which is approximately three feet wide. Now PADCOM is set to be the world’s lowest carbon-footprint potash mine, and expects to produce 250,000 tonnes of potash per year, thanks to Manitoba Hydro’s green energy that will be used to
power the mine. The mine uses a selective solution mining process in which a heated mixture of water and salt is injected underground to dissolve the potash deposits. The mixture is then pumped to the surface and a process will be put through a cooling down to create the crystallization for pure white potash.
Gambler First Nation near the mine south of Harrowby is a 20 per cent equity partner in PADCOM, which shows how economic reconciliation starts with projects such as this first potash mine in Manitoba. According to Gambler First Nation Chief David LeDoux the development of the mine has been a 15-year-long process. Hopefully now projects such as PADCOM will take a lot less time to get started especially where there is partnership with first nation communities across this province.
I would like to take this opportunity to commend Daymon Guillas, Chief LeDoux, and their team of PADCOM for their determination, hard work and vision in getting this first Potash up and running in the Russell area. This is going to create a large economic development opportunity in the western region of Manitoba.
Doyle Piwniuk is the MLA for Turtle Mountain. His column will help promote knowledge and understanding about this amazing part of our province.
Kelvin Goertzen News from Steinbach
We S te R n m anitoba
Doyle Piwniuk News from Turtle Mountain
Footwear philanthropist brian Scharfstein dedicated to providing footwear for society’s shoeless
Ihave known Brian Scharfstein for about 40 years and have always been impressed by his entrepreneurial vision and commitment to working for the betterment of our community. I first met him and his wife, Pam, in 1987 or 1988 when I became a writer for a publication called “Footwear Forum”, a national trade magazine for footwear retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers. This was shortly after Brian and Pam had acquired Canadian footwear from his parent’s estate. His father and mother, Bert and Ethel Scharfstein, had both passed away in 1987.
Although Brian grew up in the business, it was not pre-ordained that he would one day take over the store. He was actually enjoying a successful career in real estate when the need came to join his siblings and help their aged and ailing parents with the business.
“Much of our philanthropic giving is based on our not receiving any recognition and that applies in this case, too,” he adds.
When Brian and Pam decided to go all in and buy Canadian Footwear, the budding entrepreneurs knew that they had a lot of work to do. “We had acquired a dying tree that had not borne fruit for several years,” he recalls.
“In addition to individual customers, my parents dealt with merchants from throughout the prairies,” he recounted. “They sold largely on consignment to these customers. Pam and I needed to create a new business model.”
Brian and Pam’s efforts have resulted in transforming Canadian Footwear into one of Canada’s most successful family-owned footwear providers. Canadian Footwear currently has a staff of around 100 spread over three locations in Winnipeg and one in Calgary with customers across the country.
“We worked hard – seven days a week in the beginning,” notes Brian, who is a Canadian Certified Pedorthist, specializing in care diabetic and arthritic feet. “Our focus was on turning the buying of shoes into an experience. Our fitting specialists do more than measure your feet. We have footwear for all ages and we fit you!
“Our focus is on building relationships.”
In November 2022, the long-time downtown Winnipeg retailer was one of ten recipients of the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee medal presented to Manitobans who have made meaningful contributions to the community.
“I was taken aback by the honour,” Scharfstein said at the time. “It was certainly unexpected and humbling.”
For the most part though, the president of Canadian Footwear prefers to follow the Torah’s precept that the ideal form of charity is to give anonymously. Scharfstein also follows his father’s example in trying to never turn down people in need.
“Dad always showed compassion and concern for people in need,” Brian Scharfstein recalls. “He tried to never turn away anyone who came to his door seeking a handout.
One of the ways in which the Scharfstein Family helps those in need is the family charity program. “Fit Feet on the Street”.
For the many homeless in our community, observes Brian Scharfstein, their only mode of transportation is on foot. One of Brian’s primary goals over the past many years is to provide properly fitted footwear for as many homeless people as possible.
At the same time, the recently retired president of Canadian Footwear also provides new and reconditioned shoes and boots to newly arrived immigrants and refugees.
“We receive referrals from missions, churches, inner city schools, and resource centers,” he notes. “We try to make sure that no one – whether he be homeless or a newly arrived refugee – has to go without proper footwear”.
More than money, though, I give of my time,” he points out. When I get involved in something, I really get involved.”
Canadian Footwear is a life member of the industry’s Two Ten Foundation SOS program. “Through this program, we have given away thousands of pairs of shoes,” Brian says. “The foundation receives shipments of new footwear that have been turned back for whatever reason by manufactures, importers and other retailers. “We are the prairie distributor of this footwear. We donate footwear through a number of channels including Siloam Mission.”
One of Brian’s initiatives is the “We Fit You Boutique”, a joint effort with the John Howard Society. The boutique provides individuals newly released from prison with need with clothing, footwear, and personal hygiene necessities.
The “We Fit You Shoppe”, Brian points out, is modeled after the successful North End Women’s Centre’s 20-year-old Up Shoppe on Selkirk Avenue, a women’s co-op (of which Scharfstein is also a long-time supporter) that provides clothing for a small fee for those who can afford – and at no charge for those who can’t.
Another important focus for Brian is on helping to rebuild a safer downtown in an effort to encourage more people to return to the downtown. As part of that effort, he has been representing small and medium retailers in Manitoba in a national pilot program – authored by the Retail Council of Canada – called Operation Safe Shop. The pilot project begun four years ago, focused on facilitating better collaboration between retailers, police, and the courts and is now moving to Phase 2. With over 100 retail
storefronts in Manitoba submitting data through the platform, more than 600 incidents reported, and just over 60 repeat offenders identified, the Retail Council of Canada is now working with Winnipeg Police Services, RCMP, and Brandon Police analysts to focus on the most prolific offenders.
In their own stores, Brian had introduced a policy whereby everyone who comes into one of the stores is asked his or her first name and offered a personal shopping experience – although customers can still browse on their own.
“We have been able to almost completely eliminate shoplifting,” he reports. “We employ a lot of people in our organization” he points out. “We consider every one of them like family. We are responsible for their safety as well as the safety of our customers.”
While now semi-retired, Brian is still available to mentor their pedorthic practitioners and consult with administrative matters – he finds that he has more time on his hands for community service and the former member of the Police Board continues to work on initiatives to make our city safer.
“Perception is reality. We are changing the reality in our wonderful city, soon to be safer for all our citizens.”
Myron Love
Father and son launch art show
It’s the evening before the first ever father and son show opening for James and Matt Dean. The pair sat down with me over Teams to discuss the gallery show Of Apples & Trees, their journey as artists and what it’s like raising an aspiring artist in a northern Manitoban community; this show was a long time in the making.
When thinking about a father and son art duo, one thinks, “How special for a talented artist to be able to share his craft with his son and see him thriving as an artist all these years later.” And, if you too were thinking this, know, like me, you have it all wrong! The show earned its name in earnest, James informs me. “I know you might have heard the old adage that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, which is cool, but it didn't work that way with us. My son was the artist before I was actually doing it. From the time he could walk he kept drawing and drawing and so that whole journey was him and everybody knew it.”
of Seven. That also was part of my journey; sitting out in the snowbank, painting the frozen ice with the trees like Tom Thomson did, and that was part of my journey to where we are today.”
The duo is excited to be opening their first show together; as much as Matt was the one to spark the fire for James discovering himself as an artist, it was James who really put the time in to allow Matt to become the artist he is today. Matt tells me, “He put in the time to buy me materials, to go down to Winnipeg to find comic book artists working in the city. We got to have relationships with some really, really fascinating and cool people. My dad is very good at talking to people and hunting people down, finding mentors that definitely inspired me.”
In fact, it was James as a father who learned to draw to encourage his son’s natural ability and talents. He saw into the future and was able to understand that if he didn’t do something to help foster Matt’s talent, that the video games and other childhood distractions might take their hold and Matt’s talent might dissipate. James’ support for his son’s talent was the driving force behind uncovering his own talent as a painter.
Their styles are vastly different, yet the duo crafted a showcase of their bodies of work that are most complimentary. “For myself, I've got a lot of portraiture, figurative works. I've kind of been dealing a little bit with AI recently,” Matt tells me. “I'm a high school teacher and I teach graphic design, so a big part of what we talk about in my classes is AI. I've been dabbling with it in the last few years. It’s a thing that we can use to create; you can create an AI generated image in 10 seconds with some prompts, but then taking those images that are made by the computer and painting them, you're taking a 10 second thing and you're putting an additional 20 hours into it. It's kind of a reversal of some of those ideas.”
James’ work captures a different focal point outside of portraiture. “So, whereas Matt uses all kinds of stuff for his references, as he mentioned AI, for me, I use mostly photographs of places I've been, people and street scenes; also, the boreal scenes that I've done. I'm more leaning on our street scenes and our unguarded moments of people.” James continues, “We've had some local artists, that as a group we went out and did the plenary just like the Group
James chimes in, “I wanted him to be the best he could be. I wanted him to have everything that I could give him, while I could give it to him. So, in this case of art… well, how else do you get to change the world, but immerse yourself in it? But also, to seek it out, find it and bring that to him. To realize that there are people doing this and they know what they're doing, and you can glean and take what you want from them. And I'll never forget that Doug Wheatley, who does Star Wars, is from Winnipeg. I saw in the newspaper that in the Exchange District there was a company doing graphic drawings for the episode 3 Star Wars comics; Matt was really into Star Wars, big time. I put his drawings in a little cache with his pencils and we went walking around the exchange trying to find out where this was happening as the newspaper wouldn’t tell us anything. We went to the first building and he said no, and went to another building and we talked to another guy. Matt pulled out the article from the newspaper and said, ‘I'm looking for these guys that draw Star Wars.’ The man replied, ‘I think they're at the end of that long hallway with that door.’ Of course, my mouth dropped to the floor. Matt and I walked down the hall, knocking the door, and walked in to discover we’d walked into Star Wars!”
And from then on, Matt as a middle school artist had a mentor who would look at his drawings and critique them – someone who he deeply admired and who was working with all the big names, Marvel, DC and Star Wars. The two would meet three or four times a year to talk about art and this gave Matt the foundation to continue his artistic pursuits, which lead him to teaching and taking these lessons to the next generation of artists.
This show can be found within The Sam Waller
Museum, located in the old courthouse building and heritage status space within the town of The Pas. To get a show at the Susan MacCharles Gallery in the Sam Waller Museum, an artist must book two years out. The Susan MacCharles Gallery is currently the only permanent gallery space within the town and features local Manitoban artists almost exclusively. The gallery space is named for a longtime volunteer and the first curator of the museum who passed away in 1999 after battling breast cancer. Of Apples & Trees is on display at the museum until September 20th, 2024. The cost of entry is $5 per person. The artist’s work can be seen at www.jamesdeanfineart. com. Many of the works on display are for sale and I encourage readers to make the trip up to The Pas to witness this beautiful display of art, creativity and what can unfold when you support children in their passions.
Gabrielle Swan moved to The Town of The Pas 18-months ago after spending a decade in New York City. She holds a Bachelor of Design from Toronto Metropolitan University with a major in communications and a minor in marketing. Swan brings her love of art and non-profit experience to a community who is most welcoming to an outsider. Swan serves as the Chair of the Destination Marketing Committee, the Treasurer of The Pas Guest List Inc, is a board member of The Pas Arts Council and is a committee member of Imaginorthern.
What is it about a name that makes it sound so exotic…. pork bánh mÌ
Sandwiches of all descriptions come and go; I am a huge fan of them and honestly could live on them in a pinch. So many countries have their own ideas and this one if you like a little heat is made just for you.
After soaking the pork in a spicy-sweet marinade, it is then grilled on (water pre-soaked) skewers and served inside a nice crusty baguette with cucumber and cilantro to make a flavorful pork bánh mì.
The cucumber and cilantro toppings in this bánh mì recipe are standard for most varieties; some also include pickled carrots or shredded radishes. To be fair you can add pretty much anything, but always remember to keep it a little exotic. Flare can be daring but fun.
Someone once said to me “a messy sandwich is a great sandwich”. I totally agree.
Here is what you will need:
¼ cup oyster sauce
1 ½ tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar (granulated)
Freshly ground black pepper
6 green onions white and tender green parts
4 cloves garlic, chopped
600 grams pork tenderloin, thinly sliced
4 8-inch bread rolls
Hoisin sauce (for the bánh mì)
Sriracha sauce (for the bánh mì)
½ cucumber, cut into 2 x ½ inch matchsticks (seedless)
2 cups loosely chopped cilantro sprigs
The all important how to:
Place the oyster sauce with the honey, sugar, pepper, scallions, and garlic into a blender and mix on high until you have a nice liquid. Transfer the marinade to a bowl, add the thinly sliced pork tenderloin, and toss together, ensuring all the meat is fully covered. Seal with some saran wrap, then place in the fridge 2 to 4 hours.
Remove the marinated pork from the fridge and carefully thread though the bamboo skewers from top to bottom. Place to one side.
Light a grill and oil the grates. Spread the rolls with a little butter then a generous spreading of both hoisin and Sriracha sauce.
Once the grill is at the right temperature brush the pork with oil and grill over high heat, turning, until just cooked.
Remove from the heat and place 2 skewers in individual rolls, close, and pull out the skewers. Place the matchstick cucumber and cilantro then serve. Why
not let us know what you think, email the editor. Footnote: Adding a little heat, chile sauce works or even jalapeno would be typical, though you can also find some sandwiches spread with mayonnaise.
Editor’s note: This is truly a mouthwatering sandwich. What Ian didn’t tell you is that he generously buttered the buns on the crust side as well as the centre and warmed the buns in a hot oven. This made them just a little crusty and even more delicious.
Ian Leatt is a trained chef from across the pond.
Ian Leatt Foodies
Gabrielle Swan View from The Pas
Winnipeg’s Folk Festival has deep roots in the local music scene
As we celebrate Winnipeg’s 150th birthday, each month music historian and author John Einarson will share stories from our city’s rich and colourful music history. Enjoy.
Folk music is, quite simply, music of the common people. Every cultural/ethnic group has its own folk music that, in some way, highlights the uniqueness of that cultural/ethnic group. The music is often related to national culture and can involve historical storytelling or topical events. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted orally, music with unknown composers, or music performed by custom over a long period of time.
Long before the Winnipeg Folk Festival put this city on the international folk and roots music map, folk music enjoyed a healthy following in coffeehouses, clubs, and church hall basements throughout the city.
fare, anything from folk to bluegrass, jazz, and blues, along with the occasional side of poetry.
As local singer/songwriter Bobby Stahr (aka Bob Purvis) recalls, “My favourite place to play was The Latin Quarter in the basement of Home Street United Church. It was the folk mecca in Winnipeg. It was the only coffeehouse open on Sundays. You had a good audience who came to listen.”
Winnipeg City of Song
Coffeehouses like the Wing’d Ox (St. Luke’s Anglican Church on Stradbrook Avenue), Java Shop (along a back lane kitty corner to the old Free Press building on Carlton Street), Establishment (on Kennedy Street close to where the Autumn Stone shop was located), Wyse Eye (at the downtown YWCA), Cro Magnon (at the corner of Notre Dame and Princess Street), the Latin Quarter (Home Street United Church), Deacon’s Dungeon (at St. John’s Church in the North End), Stop, This Is It (at Holy Trinity Anglican Church on Donald Street at Graham Avenue), The Fireplace Restaurant (on Pembina Highway), and West Broadway’s Ting Tea Room (later Hunter & Gunn barbershop) offered an eclectic
Any mention of coffeehouse performers in Winnipeg during the ‘60s and ‘70s always elicits one name: Jim Donahue. He was the kingpin on the local folk music scene. “Jim set the standard for every other folk performer in town,” notes younger brother, musician/record producer Dan Donahue. “He sang well, played well and engaged people in a way that others didn’t.”
The premier local coffeehouse in the early 1960s was the Fourth Dimension or 4D located at 2000 Pembina Highway at University Crescent beside the Pembina Drive-in Theatre in south Winnipeg. Formerly 1950s supper club Jack’s Place, in 1960 it was converted into a coffeehouse, part of a chain of three Fourth Dimensions coffeehouses, the other two in Fort William (Thunder Bay) and Regina. The 4D was an oasis for like-minded souls with a penchant for a more cerebral musical experience. Inside, a dark bohemian motif (black walls lined with snow fence and dim lighting) created a cool boho enclave. Charlie Clement (later the owner of Tubby’s Pizza on Stafford Street) from Regina was installed as manager. Many of the top folk artists of the day appeared at Winnipeg’s 4D along with up and comers like Jesse Colin Young (later in The Youngbloods), Don McLean (long before “Ameri-
can Pie” made him famous), Stephen Stills (with New York folk quintet The Company), Joni Mitchell, as well as our own Neil Young.
“It was a place where you could meet other people from other parts of the city who, like you, were caught up in this particular musical movement,” notes 4D performer Len Udow. “The coffee wasn’t the attraction like a Starbucks today.”
The Ting Tea Room, located at 595 Broadway Avenue just west of Osborne Street, opened its doors in February 1971 offering eclectic folk music fare. The coffeehouse served coffee and tea as well as containing a full-service restaurant. The club also boasted a meditation room and a section where various locally-made arts and crafts were sold.
Opened in 1987, The West End Cultural Centre was the brainchild of Winnipeg Folk Festival founder Mitch Podolak. Located in the refurbished Portuguese Hall (previously housing several different church congregations stretching back to 1896) at 586 Ellice Avenue at Sherbrook Street in downtown Winnipeg, it quickly became a major concert venue for folk and roots artists both locally and from across Canada.
Since 1974, the annual Winnipeg Folk Festival has become one of North America’s leading folk and roots music events drawing over 50,000 people to Bird’s Hill Park just north of Winnipeg each July. Notes original visionary Mitch Podolak, “There is a whole generation of musicians, a couple of generations, in fact, who were entirely inspired by the Winnipeg Folk Festival.” This year the festival celebrates 50 years of music and fun.
Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee at 4D Winnipeg. Folk singer Jim Donahue.
John Einarson
Poster for the inaugural Winnipeg Folk Festival in 1974.
the WSo shares music with kids in the community
El Sistema (which translates to The System) is a publicly financed, voluntary sector, music-education program founded in Venezuela by educator, musician, and activist José Antonio Abreu with the motto “Music for Social Change.”
Sistema Winnipeg is a partnership between the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Seven Oaks School Division and Winnipeg School Division. This program encourages students to reach their full potential and inspires greater social change within the community through accessible music education. It delivers musical training every day after school at no cost to participating families.
Sistema Winnipeg engages with up to 150 students in grades 2 to 12 at two main school locations, Elwick Community School (SOSD), and King Edward Community School (WSD). Program experiences include general music, instrumental sectionals, full orchestra and choir rehearsals, and other activities for violin, viola, cello, double bass, flute, clarinet, French horn, trumpet, trombone and tuba. We were very productive throughout the 2023/24 school year, with lots to highlight and celebrate.
the WSO’s Community Celebration concert, conducted by Monica Chen for the first time!
Both participating schools shared the stage in November to record Máhsi ts’eniwe, their submission for the CBC Canadian Music Class Challenge. The work is a Dene Kede composition written by Gloria Gaudet and Leela Gilday and arranged by Sistema Winnipeg teacher Chris Budlong!
Students from both schools performed at the first Family Night events for their communities, showcasing the work they’ve put in. These events end with a celebration over food – potluck style. Sistema Elwick also performed at the Seven Oaks School Division’s Hall of Fame induction concert, honouring Lydia Hedrich, who helped support the creation of Sistema Winnipeg in 2011.
Students in WYO had two performances – the 100th anniversary of the orchestra and their annual Fall Fantasia concert.
The first term ended with the Tannis M. Richardson Winter Concert, named in honour of Tannis M. Richardson, whose ground-breaking gift in 2017, jointly launched the Sistema Winnipeg Endowment Fund with Michael Nozick.
events for their communities. Sistema King Edward also performed at Isaac Newton School as a mini-outreach concert for the music program.
After spring break, Sistema Winnipeg students performed with the WSO at the orchestra’s Adventures in Music program, playing for a sold-out hall full of students from across the province.
May saw the last Family Night performances, a performance at Seven Oaks School Division’s Arts in the Park event for Sistema Elwick and the final WYO concert of the year, the Sounds of Spring concert.
City Collegiate. We celebrated the students’ achievements with an evening full of musical moments by Sistema Winnipeg. This concert is named after Michael Nozick, whose incredibly generous gift launched an endowment fund for Sistema Winnipeg, jointly with Tannis M. Richardson.
Before the school year even started in September, Sistema Winnipeg had eight students attend the Rosamunde Summer Music Academy in August! Thanks to our partnership, we supported ten students at the week-long academy, which develops physical and mental well-being as well as musical and technical abilities and ensemble skills.
The Sistema Winnipeg program officially started in September when we welcomed new and returning students to the program and our new Sistema Winnipeg Music Director, Monica Chen, who is also the WSO’s RBC Assistant Conductor.
In September, students also started participating in Winnipeg Youth Orchestras (WYO). We supported 12 students in weekly rehearsals and provided transportation thanks to our community volunteer drivers.
In January, Sistema Winnipeg students were invited to sing the national anthem at a Manitoba Moose game! Sistema families got to experience a Canadian hockey game in person, many for the first time!
In February, the Sistema Winnipeg Benefit Concert fundraiser was held for the first time in a few years, thanks to the support from the Desautel Faculty of Music at the University of Manitoba and St John’s College. This concert was presented in memory of Judith Prescott Flynn, who helped support and plan the annual event over the years.
If you would like to support Sistema Winnipeg, scan this QR code with your smartphone and you can make a donation here. Or go to give.wso.ca to find out more.
In early October, the Beethoven Orchestra, students who have been playing their instruments for three to 5 years, performed at
Sistema Winnipeg also offered volunteer opportunities for the participating students. They became the teachers for folks attending the WSO’s Kid’s Concert Series! Running the Instrument Petting Zoo, Sistema Winnipeg kids showed others how to hold and make a sound on the instruments.
Ending off the second term, both schools held their second Family Night
We are incredibly proud to share that we have 50 students interested in Rosamunde in August and 20 students accepted to Winnipeg Youth Orchestras for the 2024/25 school year, marking a huge milestone for the program.
The Sistema Winnipeg school year ended with the Michael Nozick Spring Concert held on June 18, at the Seven Oaks Performing Arts Centre at Garden
Including the final concert, the Sistema Winnipeg program had 15 performances between both school locations and 3 volunteer opportunities at the WSO Kid’s Concerts. If students were also in Rosamunde Summer Music Academy in 2023, and Winnipeg Youth Orchestras this year, they had an additional 4 performance opportunities! With the support of our community, partners, foundations and sponsors, Sistema Winnipeg will continue to support the growth, both musically and socially, of our student communities. We are grateful for the support we receive! Jeffrey Acosta is the Manager of Education, Community and Sistema.
Music for the future
El Sistema was the brainchild of Jose Antonio Abreu in Venezuela in 1975 to provide “free classical music education that promotes human opportunity and development for impoverished children."
Sistema Winnipeg was started in 2011 under the leadership of then WSO Executive Director Trudy Schroeder and then Maestro Alexander Mickelthwaite, both completely committed to bringing Winnipeg’s symphony orchestra and the broader community closer together. I was president at the time and celebrated, along with the rest of our board, this community involvement.
We had limited resources so the first challenge, which Trudy handled with her usual panache, was to secure a community partnership. Trudy was able to secure the support of the Seven
Oaks School Division at Elwick School, where there were many kids of First Nations and immigrant families, who had limited resources.
It was groundbreaking here in Manitoba. When it started, kids who signed up were obliged to practice three hours a day, from 3:30 to 6:30, five days a week. A half dozen WSO musicians gave of their time as instructors. Kids got dinner as well as instruments, most of which were donated back then, and an opportunity to attend WSO concerts. Kristjanna Oleson was their dedicated teacher.
The program helps develop more than just musical skills in children. It teaches discipline, sharpens mental acuity and inspires disadvantaged youth and their families with possibility. – Dorothy Dobbie
Sistema Winnipeg Music Director Monica Chen.
Community Celebration Concert. Photo by Matt Duboff.
Jeffrey Acosta
Sistema Participants in the Winnipeg Youth Orchestra.
Winnipeg loves its children
Community creates success
It has been another amazing year, thanks to the community of support for the kids who rely on our children’s hospital, and who benefit from leadingedge work done at our research institute.
We know the medical teams at HSC Children’s Hospital, and investigators at Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (CHRIM) are world-class in their fields and we are so grateful they’re always there for kids and families.
ter futures for kids and families.
This campaign is a transformative initiative and has been making an impact in child health care and research in our province and beyond since 2019. This past year alone, there are so many successes to celebrate.
In 2023-2024, thanks to our incredible community, we’re so proud and excited to say we are on track to achieving the historic Better Futures campaign goal of $75 million.
Thanks to the vision of Better Futures co-chairs, Nancy and Kirsten, leading donors like Barb and Gerry Price, the campaign cabinet, the Foundation Board and each and every supporter – for committing to giving bet-
Thanks to donor support of Better Futures, CHRIM launched a new research theme called PRIME, to collaborate and improve care for kids living with cancer. Mental health initiatives for kids living with type 2 diabetes got a meaningful boost through a $500,000 grant from TD Bank Group to the diabetes research theme, DREAM.
The Kali Dyck Foundation honoured the beautiful life of Kali Dyck by supporting the Autism Database and Outcomes Registry, ADORE for short, which will better understand the diversity of kids living with autism in Manitoba.
Sri Lankan Seniors
Buddha Gaya: Newly Cleaned Area (2023)
Although in 2002, Maha Bodhi Temple Complex at Buddha Gaya was declared as a World Heritage Site, when we conducted our family pilgrimage to Buddha Gaya in 2009, we observed that the environment around Budda Gaya was dusty, dirty and unhealthy. When I shared my experiences with Most Ven. Thrikunamale Ananda Mahanayake, Thera recommended that I formulate a proposal to establish a clean Sacred City. Mahanayake Thera further advised that he would send the proposal to the Government of India via Buddhist Kariya Sadhaka Mandalaya with a suggestion that this be a project to commemorate Sri Sambuddha Jayanthi which in 2011 marked the 2,600th year of the Enlightenment of Buddha in Buddha Gaya. Accordingly, on May 10, 2009, I formulated a proposal and sent it to the Government of India and they returned their comments.
The date was May 4, 2024, in Alloway Hall, at the Manitoba Museum, Hotel and Convention Centre, Winnipeg. Nandika Bandara, President, SLAM invited Chandani and I to join the reserved table to be with Janice Lukes, Deputy Mayor, the City of Winnipeg and Jasmine Brar, School Trustee, Pembina Trails School Division.
There were 460 attendees, which will be recorded as one of the largest number of participants that attended for a New Year event. The Board of SLAM decided to create a new event for the benefit of the children to educate them about Sri Lankan traditional games. That new event was quite attractive not only with children but also among all other age groups. The script writer of the short drama highlighted Sri Lankan and Canadian cross-cultural interactions within a household. As the dialogue was natural, Janice was unable hide her tears and tears came out without her knowledge.
Construction began on an indoor mental health play space, so kids facing mental health challenges have somewhere to play and exercise while receiving critical care.
The neonatal intensive care unit, and many others, were able to purchase life-saving equipment, like Babyleo incubators that provide a sterile and comforting environment for tiny babies to heal so they can go home with their families.
First Nations, Métis and Inuit leaders continued collaborating and planning the Indigenous Community Healing Space that will provide a culturally safe place for Indigenous families who are away from their home supports.
One of our many Children’s Miracle Network Partners, Walmart, celebrated a massive milestone of $5 million raised since they began the Manitoba program in 1994.
Over 400 Children’s Hospital Book Market volunteers worked all year long to collect, sort, price and pack books for three sales which together made over half a million dollars. Let that sink in for a moment, half a million dollars,
and Ghazals. She gained fame as the first runner-up of the reality TV show Derana Dream Star in Sri Lanka.
from gently used books thanks to the commitment of this group.
Pacey, your 2023 Champion Child, attended over 40 events to raise awareness, while also spending many days and nights in hospital because he needed care himself. He raised an amazing $34,000 to split between emergency research and surgical equipment.
The dedicated volunteers of Children’s Hospital Guild of Manitoba continued their great work hosting events and running the Nearly New Shop. And thanks to careful planning and a very engaged committee, everything has been set in motion to bring back Teddy Bears’ Picnic on September 8 at Assiniboine Park.
These, and many more, successes are possible thanks to the unwavering support of this community. We are so deeply grateful for every single supporter. Your present is changing their future.
To read the full gratitude report visit goodbear.ca/gratitudereport.
Stefano Grande is the president and CEO of Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba.
ries) and illustrate on the Pandol to commemorate Poson Full Moon Day from June 22nd and continue till one week.
Traditionally, the Pandol Jathaka story is explained in the form of a Sri Lankan folk song named Viridu. Indra wrote Viridu lyrics with 30 poems to explain Digathi Kosala Jathakaya.
As well as explaining in Viridu format, the organizing committee planned to describe picture-frame by picture-frame in Sinhala and English.
The Education Room of the Access Centre was booked on June 9, 2024, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm to conduct practice sessions of Viridu with a final two-hours kept for recording. Viridu was sung by six seniors. The technical support for recording was obtained from Buddhika and Tharanga. Erandi joined with Seniors to blend her female-voice. Wayantha played violin. Romesh represented MBVCA. Pembina Active Living
On October 26, 2010, I met Mr. Lalith Weeratunga, Secretary to the President, and obtained his advice to reformulate the proposal. I handed the same to Mr. Weeratunga on Feb. 15, 2011, to be sent to the Government of India through the Sri Lankan President, Mahinda Rajapakse. Follow-ups were done with the two Sri Lanka High Commissioners to India namely Mr. Austin Fernando and Mr. Milinda Moragoda.
The Resident Monk of the Manitoba Buddhist Vihara and Cultural Association (MBVCA), Ven. Rathana Thera, visited Buddha Gaya in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 (five times). When he went on March 1st to 6th – 2023 (five days) he saw a complete change within Buddha Gaya site. Based on this empirical evidence I kindly requested him to draw a sketch map. With this, I obtained the services of Drimal Fernandopulle to construct a map based on Google map of the site. It is depicted status of newly cleaned area (2023) within the Sacred Area of Buddha Gaya. Sri Lankan New Year Organized By: Sri Lankan Association of Manitoba Seniors' Song: follow the link below: https://www.facebook.com/video/ edit/?v=808953227331493
We have to be thankful to SLAM after incorporating all traditional events and issue a ticket for a reasonable price.
Sunil, Sanka, and Nuwandika are the three musical colors of the show. The venue and other details are shown in the three flyers. The Sri Lankan Association of Manitoba (SLAM) presents Trivarna on Sept. 15, 2024, evening.
Sunil Edirisinghe, a former coworker of mine at the Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka in the early 1980s, began his journey as a part-time singer. Over time, Sunil became a leading singer in Sri Lanka. In 2018, when he visited Winnipeg, Sunil and Victor Ratnayake (Victor Aiya) stayed at our home. During that period, I came to appreciate Sunil's high spiritual standards.
Sanka, Sunil’s son, is an excellent singer like his father and will be joining our show from London, where he and his family currently reside. Sankani, Sunil’s daughter, is a student at Vishaka Girls School in Colombo and a student of my wife, Chandani. Sankani is also a talented singer.
Nuwandhika Senarathne is a Sri Lankan singer and television personality known for her singing talents in Soprano Opera
A few years ago, the Sri Lankan Seniors of Manitoba decided to introduce a Theme Song for Seniors. I thought of Sunil to voice the song. Indra, a member of SLSM, served as the lyric writer. After several months of professional dialogue, Sunil finally voiced the lyrics written by Indra. Music was provided by Darshana Wickramatunga. According to Sunil, the Seniors Song will be launched as the first song just after halftime.
Funds will be raised for: (1) Siloam Mission in Winnipeg (2) Dance School of SLAM (3) Autism Centre: Lady Ridgeway Hospital, Largest Children's Hospital, Sri Lanka.
Sri Lankan Seniors: Sung Viridu
Sri Lankan Seniors Manitoba got an invitation from Manitoba Buddhist Vihara (Manitoba Buddhist and Cultural Association-MBVCA) to explain the past birth stories of the Buddha (Jathaka Sto-
Susan Fletcher, Executive Director, OF Pembina Active Living invited us to join them for the PAL first fundraising breakfast on June 11, 2024, at Smitty's Restaurant on Pembina from 8.30 am to 10.30 am.
I went with my wife, Chandani, for the event. Both of us met our good old friends. I managed to canvass Sri Lankan Association of Manitoba fundraising "singing concert" scheduled to be held on Sept. 15, 2024. Among the guests were Susan and Obby Khan (MLA) Fort Whyte.
Senaka Samarasinghe
Stefano Grande Healthy Living
Senaka with MLA Obby Khan.
the St. James-eaton’s hall of fame, part two
This is part two of a two part piece.
Between July 15, 1905, and October 20, 1999, Eaton’s at 320 Portage Avenue was a meeting place for Winnipeggers.
This story will tell the Eaton’s story by listing the contributions of some St. James residents (mostly employees).
64. Guildford, Richard Ebbitt, long time employee retired in 1978.
74. King Edward, Joseph Dancy, retired in 1944, after 17 years as Santa Claus in Toyland.
75. Lake Ridge Road, Tom Miller, 1960s sales later founded the St. James Junior Canucks.
76. Library Place, Laurie Mustard, well-known media personality has the Eaton’s Clock with the hope of displaying the clock in a public place.
77. Linwood Street, Alfred Best, 1910-1950 Manager.
78. Madison Street, David Gray, 36 years at Eaton’s.
79. Madison, Lesley Garraway, cosmetic department Polo Park featured in Ads in the 1970s.
80. Mandeville, Bill Harms, over 40 years’ service Manager of Men’s Shoes Downtown.
81. Mandeville, William Patterson, 1927-77, Floor Coverings Manager, and Buyer.
82. Mandeville, Anne Patterson, Mail Order.
83. Marjorie, George L Morris (no relation) 1940s-70s. I never knew George, but our family may have occasionally gotten his snail mail because he had the same name as my father.
84. Marjorie, Alan Kemp, Warehouse.
85. Marjorie, Florence Kemp, Bakery.
86. Marjorie, Jimmy King, Piano Salesman, Jimmy was a Band Leader.
87. Moorgate, Bruce McGregor Manager of Basement Shoes.
88. Moorgate Street, Maureen Korda age 5, in 1968 won the Eaton’s Draw Your Dad Contest.
89. Overdale, John Guest, between 1906-1933 recruited from Ontario to manage the meat department. During the mid-1930s, John was a St. James Alderman.
90. Overdale, Mary Donaldson, 1980s, fur department.
91. Overdale, Gladys Stewart, 1960s, Children Wear.
92. Overdale, Trevor Stewart, part time 1960s, Parcel Boy.
93. Palliser Avenue, Allan Finnbogason, 45 years with Eaton’s retiring in 1986 held several senior management positions including the head of food services, loaned to 1950 Flood Relief Fund, turned the Downtown store into a temporary hotel during the March 4, 1966, blizzard, active in the Eaton’s Retirement Club.
98. Parkview Street, Howard McGregor, 19051951, in 1905 original employee of the Downtown store, manager and buyer for the Mail Order, President of the Eaton Athletic Club.
99. Parkview Street, Gertrude McGregor came to work at the brand-new Eaton’s Downtown in 1905 at the age of 19 as the Head Cashier.
100. Portage Avenue, Debi Pointkoski, 1960s 1970s Worked Downtown and Polo Park Ladies Accessories. Debbie met Liberace and Hockey Star Bobby Orr (In the 1960s Gordie Howe was an Eaton’s Travelling Ambassador).
101. Portage Avenue, Timothy C. Eaton, in the 1965 Henderson Directory the great grandson of Timothy Eaton was listed as an Eaton Employee living in St. James.
102. Queen Street, Carylye Carey, inventory control for children’s and baby department.
103. Ridley, Pamela Carlye, 197879, Junior Executive representing John Taylor Collegiate and modeling.
104. Rita Street, Alex Kapitany, 1950s-1980s, 30 years as an electrician Alex’s offer to use his Eaton’s wire cutters in an attempt to contain a small fire in a sign at the Time building was refused. The Fire then rapidly spread and threatened the Eaton’s Store. (Source A Store Like No Other by Russ Gourlick).
105. Riverbend, Debra Jonasson Young, 1971-1998, Grill Room at Polo Park Downtown and Garden City Supervisor of Women’s fashions, Manager of St. Vital, General Manager of the Manitoba Northwestern Ontario.
St. James Eaton’s Hall Of Fame
106. Riveroaks Drive, Roslyn Roberts, elevator operator.
107. Roseberry, Addell Ross, 195865, Budget Department
108. Roseberry, Arthur Barnes, messenger Arthur was killed in World War 2 at the age of 22. Arthur is remembered in Eaton’s Employee War Memorial
109. Roseberry Frank Jones late 1940s to late 1970s, Jewelry Department and Mail Order Department.
110. Roseberry, Eileen Jones, 196883, an original employee of the Polo Park Store, Children clothing and infant department manager.
111. Roseberry, Jerry Jones, 197678, Sporting Good Department Polo Park. Jerry is the currently the business manager of the three-time MMJHL Champions St. James Canucks.
112. Roseberry, Brad Vallance, 1960s Parcel Boy.
113. Rutland Street, 9-year-old Phyliss Dye wrote a letter in the Sun Beams. (children’s section of the Winnipeg Free Press) about enjoying the Santa Claus parade.
114. Rutland, Annette Buchan, 1968, camera department of the Polo Park Store.
115. Sackville Street, Robert Hamilton, Jewelry Department.
116. Sackville, Willett Edgar Workman, 1929-1975, Department Manager.
117. Sackville, Marjorie Workman, long time Eaton’s employee.
118. Sharp Blvd, 1960s-70s, Eileen McIntyre.
119. Stewart Street, Lorne Davies, Junior Executive in the Camera Department.
120. Strathmillan, Muriel Fox, 1950s-60s ladies clothing in the downtown store.
121. Truro, Ann McGregor, camera department Downtown later at Polo Park.
122. Truro Earl, McGregor manager of the Downtown China Department.
123. Winchester, Street Charles Lane, cash register repair Downtown for 55 years.
124. Winchester, Arthur Cann, 35 years 1927-62 Manager of the Eaton Seed Company.
127. Winchester Doris Milne, early 1950s Ladies Sweaters.
128. Winchester, Russell Chatfield 40 years with Eaton’s.
129. Winchester, Stanley Carr, mechanic 1950s-1960s.
130. Wallasey Street, Margaret Wishnewski, Eaton’s wages office 1960-70, Eaton’s Polo Park sales artificial flowers, plants, barbecues and lawn mowers.
131. Wharton, Charlene Braun, 1976, John Taylor High School Junior Executive at the Downtown Store.
•
We have found Eaton’s connections on 57 St. James Streets. Every job is important to a business. Therefore, I do not rank the jobs or the employees. Many young people started their workplace adventures in the Junior Executive program and or a part time job. Other Etonians had careers of between 30 and 50 years. Long careers with one employer have become unusual in this day and age.
Customers could buy just about anything at Eaton’s including furniture, clothes, toys, cosmetics ,jewelry, books, black and white TV’s, and pianos. There were no complaints about the lack of a downtown grocery store. Eaton’s had a Groceteria in their basement. Eaton’s had restaurants and a bakery. Remote buying is not new. We found many Catalogue Department employees. Many old catalogues ended up being used as hockey shin pads. Eaton’s provided services such as a pharmacy, optical, and watch repairs. Some jobs like elevator operators, and staff for the delivery horses stable disappeared.
Eaton employees were listed as clerks, managers, buyers, security personal, Delivery Drivers, mechanics, electricians, models, and gift wrappers. Buyers were required to do a lot of travelling.
There are several connections between Eaton’s and major 20th Century historical events such as WW1, WW2, the 1950, Flood, the Time Building Fire, the 1966 Blizzard and annual Manitoba Curling Bonspiel. This story focused on people’s contributions while working at Eaton’s. However, I would have been remiss if I did not mention that a Winnipeg mayor, band leader, and a St. James hockey team founder were once Eatonians.
Eaton’s played a part in the people everyday life. The back page of the daily newspaper was an Eaton’s ad. There is a reference in the story to a Father’s Day contest. Every August for decades the ad would remind us, “First to Eaton’s and then to School”. Between 1905 and 1966, Eaton’s put on the Winnipeg Eaton’s Santa Clause parade.
I would like to continue this project until the October 25th Anniversary of the closing of the Eaton’s Downtown Store. Let me know who else should be added to the St. James Eaton’s Hall of Fame. Please include the St. James Street where the person lived, when they worked at Eaton’s and their job description. If you have texted me and are not yet on the list, please resend the information to fredmorris@hotmail. com. Finally, please let me know about any errors on the existing list. The current list can perfected by adding a few more details, especially the years that people worked at Eaton’s. Could we end up with representation from 70 St. James Streets?
Update on the Arlington Street Bridge
I found no recent references to the Arlington Street Bridge in the Agendas of City Hall Meetings. However a June 1, 2024 Winnipeg Free Press (Page B 1) article caught my attention.
The City has put out a tender to replace the bearings on the currently unused bridge in order to prevent the Bridge from collapsing onto the Rail Yard. UNBELIEVABLE.
The Bridge is beyond repair and represents a safety hazard even when it is not in use. The immediate demolition of the Bridge should be the only money that the City spends on the Bridge.
DAYS OF NO DECISION About how or if this bridge should be replaced. As of June 19, 2024: 211 Days
Fred Morris is a Grandfather, Sports Fan and Political Activist.
Fred Morris
A look at the Eaton’s store on Portage Avenue in 1920. Photo courtesy of the Library and Archives Canada, photo by Albertype Company.
anita Willets-burnham and her rolling suitcase
Anita Willets-Burnham (18801958) was an impressionist artist, a teacher, lecturer, and international traveler. She is best known for her 1933 book Round the World on a Penny about her international travels with her family. She was known as a penny pincher when it came to travel. She was once asked why she chose to travel third class. She answered, “Because there wasn’t fourth class.”
Anita was passionate about her art. She attended several prestigious art schools and colleges, and traveled throughout the world to study. Her work was exhibited throughout the country including at the world’s fair held in San Francisco in 1915.
lution – a solution that seems obvious to us now, but one that took decades to catch on. As a frequent traveler, she found it cumbersome to deal with her suitcases. It was during the planning of a trip during the 1920s, long before luggage with wheels was patented, that she decided to attach wheels from a baby carriage to her trunk with a telescoping handle to navigate it.
Jim Ingebrigtsen
She was also serious about her travel, visiting France, Spain, Belgium, England, and North Africa, Japan, Siam, Korea, China, India, Egypt, Palestine, Spain, England, Germany, Greece, Cyprus, Belgium, Morocco, Switzerland, and the East Indies.
Anita was a creative artist, but she was also a practical woman. She saw a problem and she created a simple so-
Doctor M
“Why be a human truck horse?” she asked in her book, Round the World on a Penny that was published in 1933. But despite the practicality of the idea, and the occasional newspaper photo showing Anita with her rolling trunk, wheeled luggage was not patented by Bernard Sadow until 1972, and the idea did not really catch on until the 1980s when pilot Robert Plath came up with a smaller wheeled bag.
So why did it take so long for the wheeled bags to catch on? When travel was limited to the wealthy, they had servants or porters to handle their luggage, but even in the 20th century, when travel had expanded to the mid-
dle classes, people were still lugging their bags around.
Katrine Marçal, author of Mother of Invention: How Good Ideas Get Ignored in an Economy Built for Men, puts it down to sexism. When wheeled suitcases were first introduced, they were considered niche products for women.
Sadow, the “official” inventor, agrees. He described how difficult it was to get any American department store chains to sell wheeled luggage: “At this time, there was this macho feeling. Men used
to carry luggage for their wives. It was … the natural thing to do, I guess.”
According to Marçal, “Two assumptions about gender were at work here. The first was that no man would ever roll a suitcase because it was simply ‘unmanly’ to do so. The second was about the mobility of women. There was nothing preventing a woman from rolling a suitcase – she had no masculinity to prove. But women didn’t travel alone, the industry assumed. If a woman travelled, she would travel with a man who would then carry her bag for her. This is why the industry couldn’t see any commercial potential in the rolling suitcase. It took more than 15 years for the invention to go mainstream, even after Sadow had patented it.”
Eventually, wheeled suitcases became part of every traveler’s arsenal, and we can’t imagine how earlier travelers managed without them. Anita WilletsBurnham who continued to travel and lecture, towing her rolling trunk, until she was incapacitated by a stroke in 1956, was a woman ahead of her time. Jim was a writer-broadcaster and producer on television and radio for 40 years. Listen to his podcasts on Lifestyles 55 Digital Radio. Find Radio Redux, and MidCentury Memories at www.whatsupwinnipeg.ca/lifestyles-55digital-radio/
The following story is part a new feature, a fictional work by our columnist Wayne Weedon, Doctor M. 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.
Doctor M
Note: The contents of this story deals with religion and may offend some people. You may wish to avoid reading it.
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 school, Hank, one of Pops friends, a former Blood Indian from Alberta, was visiting. When Hank returned to Canada after the war, he refused to follow the directives from Indian Affairs to go back to his reserve. Instead, Hank decided to give up his Indian status and stay in Winnipeg with his new bride.
Pops and Hank were talking about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Hank did not have anything good to say, “It was nothing but a scam. The authorities bought off a few collaborators with fancy jobs, honorary degrees, and medals; and everyone pretended they wanted truth and reconciliation. They claimed there were no records of who attended these schools. We, who could prove we had been in residential school, had to sign affidavits confirming such and such a person was our classmate so they could participate in the process. If the government had allowed us to go ahead with the class action suit we had initiated here in Winnipeg, the trial transcripts would be available to the public, and the truth would be out. As it is, interviews were done in secret and the stories will soon be destroyed, hidden from history forever. The whole truth will never come out.”
Pops explained, “Hank was telling me about some of his experiences in residential school. They are not pleasant memories. He has been showing me a diary written by one of Hannah’s friends. I’d like for you to read it. A teacher bought a house close to a reserve and set up a school to give Indian children from the reserve a proper education. Back then, this was a violation of the Indian Act.”
“This journal,” Hank explained, “gives a good indication of how impossible it was for an Indian to get a useful education, and how the feelings of inferiority became so ingrained, it’s near impossible for any of these people to come to believe in themselves. For me, I started school when I was five years old. On my first
day of school, Sister Geraldine, noticing I was holding a pencil in my left hand, screamed out, ‘We use our right hand to write, that is why it is called a write hand.’ She beat my left hand so badly with a wooden ruler, I had no choice but to use my other hand. That is an example of their kind of education. In this journal, you’ll read much more of this type of attitude and, possibly, you’ll be able to understand why the teacher depicted in this journal had no choice but to run away with her students in tow. That was the only way she could give them the type of education they needed to live independent and productive lives.”
Hank opened the journal somewhere close to the middle and asked me to begin reading from there.
January 27, 1949
Much has happened since I last wrote in my journal. My mind is still spinning, and I can feel my heart. I am sure that it is extreme anxiety. Now that we are settled, it seems to no longer affect her, who is my lover and my friend.
On December 18, being a Saturday, we had no lessons. I had breakfast with just Teacher and Olivia. When I returned from my chores, I found Teacher pacing the floor. I could see she was extremely agitated. She did not give me a chance to speak before she went into an agitated diatribe. An informant told her that the police would be coming. Someone had reported that we were harbouring minors from the reservation in our house so we could indoctrinate them into a religious cult. What BS!
Teacher blurted out, “There is only one thing to do. We must disappear. How do we get to Winnipeg in a hurry?”
I calmed her down and told her to lie down for a few minutes. I told her that I would look after things. After asking around, I found out, there is a Bombardier available. We needed to take three trips to transfer everyone to where we could catch a bus. I checked the bus schedule and found out a bus from Brandon would pass us on the highway at approximately five-thirty the next morning.
I immediately went to Helen’s house and told her what was happening. I stated that she and the other women had worked so hard to get this school program going that it would be a shame if it all ended. I told her to round up all the students and to get them over to Teacher’s house as soon as possible. I stated that each student was to pack a bag for a prolonged vacation.
I had no idea what our game plan would be once we arrived in Winnipeg, but I did know that idly sitting around would only make matters worse. If they arrested us, who knows what charges they could trump up. After all, we are dealing with Indians who, in Canada, being wards of the Crown, have no rights.
Before I left Helen, I told her we would be going away, and I reminded her that we should tell nobody about our
whereabouts. “Walls have ears and I think that it is best if nobody knows where we are going.” In addition, I added, “Not even you; you won’t even know.” Her answer was, she is okay with that since she did not wish for the responsibility of keeping a secret. I reminded her to tell everyone to pack enough belongings in preparation for a long stay away from the reserve.
It was a bit of a panic. We had no idea what we should take with us, and we had no idea of where we were going. Somehow, we all managed to get things together. The last Bombardier load arrived at the highway just before the bus came.
As we were finding our seats and settling down on the bus, she paid the driver for our tickets to Winnipeg. We would be getting off at the bus station, which is next door to the Eaton’s mail order in Winnipeg. She whispered to me as we pulled away, “I think that it is best that nobody knows where our final destination is until we arrive there.” I agreed.
It was early morning when we arrived at the bus depot. We walked a block over to Portage Avenue where we got onto a streetcar which took us down Academy Road. We got off close enough to walk to Doctor M’s house.
As far as we know, nobody, except for Doctor M and his attorney, knows that we are in this house. Doctor M’s attorney stated that we should allow absolutely nobody to come on to the property unless they have a search warrant. He also has assured us that we are such small potatoes, nobody will even bother with us, unless someone squeals. He told us, “Just hang tight.” Greatly relieved to find refuge, we decided, classes will continue.
One thing that we have been glad about is the fact that Julie has come with us. She is doing all the cooking. One of Doctor M’s friends has arranged for a man to do the shopping for us, so we never have to show our face in public. The house is big enough for everyone to feel quite fortunate and even spoiled to a degree. What a novelty for the girls to have several bathrooms. It took them a while to get used to the idea of having a shower. Some of them did not know what a shower is. But they now shower daily. When Teacher sent a note to Doctor M expressing our deepest appreciation, he replied giving only one recommendation. It was just three words. “Imagine and think.” She showed me this note. Possibly, Doctor M is a real person. However, I still have my doubts.
This all sounds like a cat and mouse game. Could it be a true story? I promised Pops I would read the journal from beginning to end. Pops warned me, this journal has adult content.
Next Month: The Journal Continued.
Wayne Douglas Weedon is a Manitoba author who writes a combination of fictional and factual stories, essays, and novels.
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
Rady Jewish Community Centre 123 Doncaster Street / 204-477-7539 lmarjovsky@radyjcc.com / www.radyjcc.com
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
Winnipeg Chinese Senior Association 204-291-7798 / wcsa.wpg@hotmail.com www.winnipegchineseseniors.ca
BEYOND WINNIPEG
BEAUSEJOUR
Beau-Head Senior Centre 645 Park Avenue 204-268-2444 / beauhead@mymts.net
BOISSEvAIN
Seniors’ Services of the Turtle Mountain Area seniorservicetm@gmail.com / 204-534-6816
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
NOTRE DAME DE LOURDES Club D’age Dor Notre Dame ndslchezsoi@gmail.com / 204-248-7291
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
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
Summer heat waves and the medications that increase your risk
camille Gagnon
Extreme heat waves are becoming more and more common in Canada. This not only makes summer less enjoyable but can affect your health. Heat and humidity can cause heat stroke, dehydration, dizziness and fainting, hospitalizations, and even death.
As you get older, it becomes harder for your body to adjust to changes in temperature. This puts older adults at greater risk during periods of extreme heat. What's more, some medical conditions make it harder for your body to adapt to heat. Two examples, more common in older adults, are diabetes and Parkinson’s disease. Did you know? Some medications can increase your risk of heat stroke
Certain commonly-used medications
can make you more sensitive to the effects of heat. Below are a few ways medications can make it harder for your body to adapt to heat.
1. Some medications can hinder your body’s ability to produce sweat. Sweating is essential for cooling down in the heat.
2. Some medications can make you dehydrated. They do so by making you lose more fluids from your body, such as through sweating or peeing.
3. Some medications can increase your body temperature.
Our "English" heritage
Aten-year-old girl went missing from an inner-city neighbourhood. This girl had a history of running away and the police were not overly concerned. A convenience store clerk stated she had sold this girl a bag of chips. No other witnesses came forward. Three years later, this child’s body was discovered accidentally by a work crew who were digging by the river. Her body was so badly decomposed, the exact cause of death could not be determined.
A novice newspaper reporter was assigned to write this girl’s story. Standing behind the police barrier where the body had been discovered, she overheard a police officer mumbling, “She’s probably better off dead.”
Shocked, the reporter spitted out, “Why would you say that?”
The officer simply explained, “There was no hope for her.”
4. Certain medications can make you feel sleepy, make it harder to focus, and slow down your reaction time. This can make it difficult to do what is needed to stay safe during very hot weather, like remembering to drink water or stay cool.
5. Finally, although they don't directly raise your chances of getting heat stroke, some medications can become toxic to your body and kidneys if you become dehydrated from the heat.
What can you do?
1. Protect yourself from extreme heat and stay hydrated. Find out more about how to stay cool and hydrated during periods of extreme heat by visiting this website: https://tinyurl.com/safe-in-heat
2. Review all your medications with a health care professional. Make an appointment with a health care professional specifically for a medication review. Together, you can identify the medications
mer friends told the reporter how this girl was afraid of the men who frequently partied with her mother. These men had molested her on several occasions. Whenever a party began, this girl would take off. The bag of chips she had purchased was probably her last supper.
Wayne Weedon Food for Thought
The reporter was incensed by the policeman’s callous attitude, and she detailed this incident in her column which her editor refused to print. The editor told her to go back and interview the mother, friends, acquaintances, anybody who could contribute to a heart wrenching story rather than handing in an accusation against a police officer.
The reporter was incensed and furious. This girl deserved compassion, not callous and derogatory remarks. The reporter found a few interesting facts: the dead girl’s mother had never married, and, still in her twenties, she already had three children by three different fathers. The victim had been through Child and Family Services and several foster homes. After being reunited with her mother, this girl continually ran away. One of the victim’s for-
Good coordinates?
How often have you seen the words “good coordinates” or “this one was a little off from GZ”. In this issue we will discuss some of the reasons for this.
Most of the receivers we use today are accurate to within two to three meters. This varies with the quality of the equipment used. A GPS unit or a cell phone can easily be comparable in accuracy.
For instance, Garmin makes several Etrex units, distinguishable by color and price. The most expensive one would easily be assumed to be the most accurate. It usually is. An Apple phone would be similar in that the most expensive one would probably be the most accurate. You would be right if that was your line of thinking. The same would hold true with the other manufacturers of GPS receivers and all Android phones. Presently most of
The reporter wrote a story which could bring tears to the average reader’s eyes, and the editor was satisfied. But the reporter was not pleased. She wanted to do something about what she had uncovered. She searched out the police officer who had stated this young girl is better off dead. After the reporter apologized and gained the officer’s trust, he began talking, “Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” He then continued, “I believe, the only way to prevent this kind of thing happening is through education. Things like this happen in families who do not feel good about themselves and have never learned how to run their own lives. These people are ignorant and stupid. They keep their heads in the sand and eagerly try to believe in romance. To them, soap operas portray real life. History tells us, this is all part of our English heritage.”
At university, before he was hired by the police force, this officer had studied history, philosophy, psychology and religion. He learned that uneducated people tend to live in a fairy tale world consisting of Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. They come to believe, through wishing and praying, their dreams will come true. “They have never learned how to take charge of their own life and their own future. They have never learned how to set a goal and work towards it. They are selfish, just grabbing on to what
them are using the legacy frequency on the GPS satellites even though some are capable of better.
GPS satellites transmit with a signal called CDMA. Yes, the old cell phone frequencies are what they use. It may be a long time before this frequency stops being used even though upgrades to those machines in the sky are happening. The sheer numbers of equipment using this signal is staggering. Your phone, your vehicle, Fitbits and similar units, airplanes, road paving equipment, and on and on have this built in.
Gary Brown Geocaching
The L5 frequency transmitters are being added to equipment that is replacing the older satellites. This frequency is much more accurate as well as a stronger signal. Some manufacturers brag that it will increase the accuracy of the better receivers to within four inches. The complete conversion
that increase your risk of heat illnesses. You can also create a plan for what to do if you start having signs of heat illness.
3. Ask your health care professional: “Do I still need all my medications?”—the answer might surprise you! Even if it is not possible to stop or reduce the dose of any of your medications, this discussion is worth having. Making sure you're taking the right medication, at the right dose, is something we must all do regularly! If you do stop or reduce the dose of a medication, make sure to put a follow-up plan in place with your health care professional. Discover more resources on using medications safely: DeprescribingNetwork.ca/
Camille Gagnon is the Pharmacist, Assistant Director of the Canadian Medication Appropriateness and Deprescribing Network. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of Health Canada.
makes them feel good and they never think about what is best for themselves and their family. Nobody was concerned about this child’s welfare, what she ate, if she ate, how she was doing in school, and what was going on in her life. Nobody ever took responsibility for her. She was all alone in the world. However, the laws state she is not allowed to run her own life, to get a job and support herself. We have child labour laws. This young girl was abused by her mother’s friends. And, very likely she was also abused by social workers and possibly by some police officers. I’ve seen dozens of such cases. I’ve also witnessed drug dealers and psychopaths getting free education in prison and then, classified as having been rehabilitated, they wind up getting a job working with children. It is common for them to do drugs with children under their care. These young children have nobody to take their troubles and complaints to. They have absolutely nobody to turn to, and no hope. They are better off dying young to end their sufferings.”
The police officer continued, “We owe all of this to our “English” heritage of keeping conquered people dependent on the governing authorities. They keep these people as children who are easily controlled by the State. Dogooders are always lobbying for guaranteed income, free housing, and safe injection sites. Is it any wonder why I get incensed? These people never learn how to take care of themselves, to run their own lives, and our system guarantees they never will.”
Next month: Our English Heritage Explained Wayne Douglas Weedon is a Manitoba author who writes a combination of fictional and factual stories, essays, and novels. Editor's note: I am assuming Wayne uses the word English to encompass all the Europeans who colonized north America. In Canada, the French and the Scottish were the main players developing the original local rules which have been influenced as time went on by waves of immigrants from all over the world.
is expected to be complete sometime in 2027. The addition of this to some of the newer equipment has already started. I saw an ad for a combine that stated that it was L5 ready. That new cell phone you just bought may just need a software upgrade in order for it to use the new frequency.
Okay, let’s get back down to earth. Almost all receivers available at the present time are off from the true ground zero by up to three meters. This varies from unit to unit, brand to brand and even the location can make a difference.
GPS signals are radio waves and can be influenced by hydro wires, large metal objects or buildings, clouds or a thunderstorm, an automobile or a train that is close to where you are looking and even you can cause a bit of inaccuracy. By law your equipment does have to accept the interference that other objects or signals cause. One of my caches, because of Hydro wires, will give you a different ground zero if you approach from the north side than if you come in from the south side. The south side is where the trail is, so that’s the side I approached from to get the posted
coordinates. The difference is small, but can throw you off a bit.
So, let’s get to the reason there may be a discrepancy with ground zero. If my GPSr is off by three meters to the north and yours is off by three meters to the south the possibility is there that the cache may be six meters from where the coordinates led you to. That means that the accuracy of the posted coordinates may be as accurate as a weather forecast. Realistically though, it doesn’t matter how accurate your receiver is unless the unit that was used to place the cache was as accurate (or inaccurate) as yours. That is why the suggestion is out there to put your receiver away when it shows that you are thirty feet or nine meters away and begin looking from there. I still go to ground zero, put a flag there and start looking. Usually by the time I do this my wife has already uttered those magic words “found it”.
Hopefully when we meet on the trail we are both on the same side of it.
Gary Brown is the President of the Manitoba Geocaching Association (MBGA) and can be reached at mbgaexec@outlook.com.
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July 27, 2024 from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
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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.
TACIUM VINCENT & ASSOCIATES
206 St. Mary’s Road, Winnipeg, MB R2H 1J3 DAVID G. VINCENT (204) 989-4236 www.taciumvincent.com
