Our Communities

Photo by Emma Honeybun
The excitement of spring seems palpable now that Jardins St-Léon Gardens at the corner of Carriere Avenue and St. Mary’s Road is open.

The joie de vivre of Jardins St-Léon

Janine LeGal Special to FP Community Review 3 minute read Yesterday at 2:01 AM CDT

Jardins St-Léon Gardens (419 St. Mary’s Rd.) is open for business. Year after year, the excitement in the air seems palpable days and weeks leading to the opening of the family-run market garden at the corner of Carriere Avenue and St. Mary’s Road.

Operating Monday through Sunday, the market’s offerings include a wide range of local fruits, vegetables, and pastries. It also offers service in both French and English

“It’s the culture, the vibe,” said co-owner Colin Rémillard, who runs the vibrant market with his brother Luc, sister Janelle, and cousin Daniel. The equal co-owners have been bringing their individual strengths to the popular destination since 2016. A French-language in-store music playlist serenades shoppers and contributes to the unique, festive ambience.

“Everyone who works in the market is bilingual French and English,” Rémillard said. “It’s a way to differentiate ourselves. We use an old playlist and it’s only French music, which kind of gives a European vibe, like an event with violin, and fiddle music,” he chuckled.

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Going green in a big way

Sheldon Birnie STAFF REPORTER 3 minute read Preview

Going green in a big way

Sheldon Birnie STAFF REPORTER 3 minute read Yesterday at 2:01 AM CDT

At Greenway School, they take their name seriously.

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

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

“Today, with the help we got, we’re planting the Greenway Community Forest, planting 49 trees of a wide variety. The idea being that it will bring back a forest with trees of all different shapes and sizes, while working with what we’ve got in the community. Every classroom will get a chance not only to plant a tree but to spend time with an arborist and ask the questions they have.”

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Photo by Sheldon Birnie
Grade 5 and 6 students at Greenway School planted a tree in the new Greenway School Community Forest on May 8. In total, nearly 50 trees were planted that day, by students and community members.

Keeping up with Coop

Emma Honeybun STAFF REPORTER 3 minute read Preview

Keeping up with Coop

Emma Honeybun STAFF REPORTER 3 minute read Yesterday at 2:01 AM CDT

Readers and dog people unite — Coop for Keeps, a sequel to Coop the Great, was launched May 4.

The Coop series, written by local author Larry Verstraete and published by Great Plains Press that started in 2018, focuses on, you guessed it, the titular fictional dog, a senior dachshund with a stark personality. Coop had been rehomed several times as a result of his outlook before he found his forever home in the first book.

Verstraete wasn’t planning on doing a second story, he said, but “that dog seemed to linger … I felt that there was more to the story.”

Although it is a sequel, he attempted to write Coop for Keeps so that it could stand alone.

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Photo by Emma Honeybun
Darrel Hominuk, director of adoptions at Winnipeg Humane Society, pictured with one of the shelter’s licensed therapy dogs.

Lemay demo denial appeal rebuffed by committee

Sheldon Birnie STAFF REPORTER 2 minute read Yesterday at 2:01 AM CDT

The Riel community committee held a special meeting on May 3 to deal with a rare appeal of the denial of a demolition permit.

While the applicant, represented by John Wintrup, seeks to demolish an existing building on site at 823 Lemay Ave., the proposed development on the property to the north has proven controversial. Opponents of the project have petitioned the city to keep the Lemay Forest as greenspace. The developer seeks to add a significant amount of housing to the area, including a possible care home, while also proposing to retain trees and greenspace on site.

In the short-term, the applicant sought to demolish the existing building to provide vehicular access to the property to the north, which is zoned for rural residential (RR5). An application to demolish the building was denied by the committee on March 21, owing to a lack of building permit.

Following two hours of delegations and debate, the committee voted to deny the appeal. Along with Wintrup, five others were registered in support, while over 50 were registered in opposition.

Obsolete Henderson secondary plans to be repealed

Sheldon Birnie STAFF REPORTER 3 minute read Preview

Obsolete Henderson secondary plans to be repealed

Sheldon Birnie STAFF REPORTER 3 minute read Yesterday at 2:01 AM CDT

The East Kildonan-Transcona community committee held a regular meeting on May 3.

Following a public hearing, the committee concurred with the recommendation of the public service to repeal the North Henderson secondary plan and the Henderson Highway corridor area action plan, both of which dated back to the late 1970s.

Valdene Lawson, representing the City of Winnipeg as applicant, along with Daniel Serhal and Michel Durand-Wood, spoke in support of the amendments.

“The secondary plan is deeply obsolete,” Serhal, a developer, told the committee. “In this case, the secondary plan is deeply out of line of the expectations of what should happen on a major corridor of our city.”

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Supplied image
The East Kildonan-Transcona community committee voted to repeal the North Henderson secondary plan and the Henderson Highway corridor area action plan, which both dated back to the late 1970s, following a public hearing on May 3.

Local students plant trees for future

Janine LeGal Special to FP Community Review 4 minute read Preview

Local students plant trees for future

Janine LeGal Special to FP Community Review 4 minute read Yesterday at 2:01 AM CDT

Raeesa Hoque is part of a group of passionate students — the ÉcOlympiens environmental club at Collège Jeanne-Sauvé, which is dedicated to improving the environment and striving to counter the detrimental impacts of climate change.

The group of 20 has been working hard to organize its ÉCOforêt Project, scheduled to begin in May with the support of the entire school. The project centres on restoring the tree population and diversity of the forest near the school’s back field.

“The goal of our project is to try and compensate for our school’s carbon imprint by planting trees in the forest, while simultaneously increasing the biodiversity of our forest’s plant and animal species,” explained Hoque, a 16-year-old Grade 11 student at the school.

With the help of city councillor Markus Chambers (St. Norbert – Seine River) and his team, the group has obtained 1,200 trees. The school’s Earth Day activities included a thorough cleanup of the surrounding areas, particularly the Dakota Forest (Dakota Park), where the trees will be planted in collaboration with Urban Forestry Winnipeg.

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Photo by Emma Honeybun
Raeesa Hoque (right) and an Urban Forestry Winnipeg team member plant trees as part of Collège Jeanne-Sauvé’s student-led ÉcOlympiens project.

‘You can’t argue with success’

Emma Honeybun STAFF REPORTER 3 minute read Preview

‘You can’t argue with success’

Emma Honeybun STAFF REPORTER 3 minute read Yesterday at 2:01 AM CDT

It’s just about the time for Lobsterfest, the signature fundraising event of the Charleswood Rotary Club. The lobster dinner — $65 for all the fixings, dessert, and small bottle of wine — is open to all and will be available for curbside pickup on June 14.

The event funds a number of Charleswood Rotary’s community initiatives and activities, according to club chair Jim Forestell.

Last year, it raised $15,000, Forestell said, which covers club operations and “the stuff that we like to do” within the community.

Lobsterfest began 36 years ago as a get-together in a member’s backyard. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was a communal gathering, at which people enjoyed their crustacean treats together. These days, however, folks are encouraged to throw their own individual “kitchen parties” to keep the tradition going.

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Photo by Emma Honeybun
Jim Forestell, chair at the Charleswood Rotary Club, is known as the “lobster man” during the group’s biggest annual fundraiser, Lobsterfest. Last year, the club raised $15,000 through meal orders alone.

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R.M. of Cartier presents draft of 2024 budget

Emma Honeybun STAFF REPORTER 3 minute read Preview

R.M. of Cartier presents draft of 2024 budget

Emma Honeybun STAFF REPORTER 3 minute read Yesterday at 2:01 AM CDT

The R.M. of Cartier held a public hearing of the draft version of its annual budget on May 6. The council, which met in Elie, Man., offered a condensed presentation to community members for a final OK before the tentative budget was sent to the province for approval on May 15.

The total tax revenue of the R.M. sits at $9,396,917, of which $4,426,727 (47 per cent) will be spent on education.

Michael Lackmanec, Cartier chief administrative officer, said the R.M.’s finances have been moderately stable, despite the “supply chain shock” caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In general, it’s all about service delivery… we wouldn’t (change things) exponentially, because everyone would bring out the pitchforks,” he said. “Given all the shakes and events that happen, it’s been kept at a relatively stable rate,” he said.

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Canstar file photo
The R.M. of Cartier held a hearing for its tentative budget on May 6, in the town of Elie.

Committee approves change of controversial street name

Emma Honeybun STAFF REPORTER 1 minute read Yesterday at 2:01 AM CDT

The Assiniboia Community Committee held a regular meeting on May 3.

A short list of items were discussed in the meeting, with only one hearing.

The committee approved the renaming of Sheryl McCorrister Way, a residential street in the Waverly West neighbourhood, to Rangeview Way. The new name is keeping with the theme of the development, Bison Run.

The street was originally named for the former principal of Southeast Collegiate who is being sued for allegedly taking close to $300,000 from the school in the form of unapproved salary increases. The street name was originally registered in October of last year, and the lawsuit was filed in November. The claims have not been proven.

Keeping in tune

Emma Honeybun STAFF REPORTER 3 minute read Preview

Keeping in tune

Emma Honeybun STAFF REPORTER 3 minute read Yesterday at 2:01 AM CDT

The common areas of The Convalescent Home of Winnipeg will be filled with music in the coming weeks.

Tune-Up Café is an eight-week evening program, aimed at people with various forms dementia, but open to all, which is using musical melodies to gauge memory, improve confidence, and create a feeling of community among residents and visitors alike. Most notably, though, it encourages participants to sing.

The hour-long visits, hosted by musical therapist Naomi Friesen, present the group with a tentative list of different songs and their lyrics — some familiar, some not — and give them the melody, rather than just the title, to work from, so that the words come more naturally. And do they ever come — the first session, a “grand opening” on May 7, opened with a song by The Carpenters and moved along to everything from Neil Diamond to The Sound of Music. It had participants, who ranged from years of musical experience to none, tapping to the beat, singing along, or simply mouthing the lyrics.

“The cool thing is that melody — the tune of something — activates more of your brain than just language,” Friesen said, adding that people with memory issues may retain a melody longer than words.

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Photo by Emma Honeybun
Sherry Heppner (left) and Naomi Friesen pictured after the very first Tune-Up Cafe at The Convalescent Gome of Winnipeg. The program aims to help those with types of dementia through melody and song.

Memorable playoff shutouts by Winnipeg goalies

Fred Morris 3 minute read Preview

Memorable playoff shutouts by Winnipeg goalies

Fred Morris 3 minute read Yesterday at 2:01 AM CDT

The Chicago Black Hawks and Detroit Red Wings both entered the 1934 NHL playoffs hoping goalies from Winnipeg would lead them to their first Stanley Cup. Chicago’s Charlie Gardiner, a seven-year veteran was considered the best goalie in the NHL at the time. He had already won two Vezina trophies and had twice been runner-up. Detroit’s Wilf Cude, who was on loan from the Montreal Canadiens, had played 29 regular-season games for the Red Wings and was runner-up to Gardiner for the Vezina.

After coming to Winnipeg in 1919, the Cudes lived briefly on William Avenue, while the Gardiners lived nearby on a Langside Street. Gardiner and Cude became friends and Cude, the younger of the two, developed a great admiration for Gardiner.

Six of the nine NHL teams made the 1934 playoffs. Chicago defeated both Montreal teams – the Canadiens and the Maroons – to advance to the final, while Detroit upset the first-place Toronto Maple Leafs in the semifinals. Cude stopped 15 shots in a 1-0 shutout of Toronto in the fifth and deciding game of that series at the Detroit Olympia. The Black Hawks won two of the first three games in the best-of-five final. On April 10, 1934, at the Chicago Stadium. Chicago clinched the Cup with a 1-0 win in double overtime, outshooting Detroit 53-39.

Cude became the regular goalie for the Montreal Canadiens for the next four seasons. After winning the Cup, Gardiner returned to Winnipeg, where he presented a trophy and gold medals to the Tobans Playground championship team. One of members of the undefeated team of 12-year-olds was Billy Mosienko – the only meeting between the two Black Hawks stars, who both had Winnipeg arenas named for them. Tragically, Gardiner died on June 13, 1934, after suffering a brain hemorrhage.

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Free Press file photo
Family members (from left) Kerry Moushamanski, Alex Gardiner, Edna Poulter, Aaron Friesen, Cole Friesen, Pam Poulter-Friesen and John Poulter, posed with Coun. Vivian Santos (Point Douglas, centre right) in front of the newly renamed Charlie Gardiner Arena in 2018.

How to improve a neighbourhood

Susan Huebert 3 minute read Preview

How to improve a neighbourhood

Susan Huebert 3 minute read Yesterday at 2:01 AM CDT

When an area begins to deteriorate, people’s instinct is often to find a new home in a better, safer place. But what if they decided to stay and improve their own neighbourhood? The Stronger Towns presentation on March 26 at 180 Poplar Ave.gave participants the chance to consider new ways of making their towns and cities better.

The Strong Towns website states, “Everyone has an opportunity to live a good life in a prospering space.” Helping people to improve the places where they live is the goal of the town hall discussions, where people can hear about new initiatives and be inspired to change their own neighbourhoods.

The main part of the event was a presentation by Strong Towns facilitator Norm Van Eeden Peterson, director of membership and development at Strong Towns. He called on listeners to “be an ambassador” and to “offer value as a generous partner,” working with other people in the community. The example of a vegan grocery in Chilliwack, B.C., illustrated his points.

Among the issues that he discussed was a common misperception that everyone shops for groceries by car and that all residents want to live in a house. This idea fails to acknowledge the many people who depend on public transit or walking to get groceries and who may prefer apartments for financial or personal reasons.

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Photo by Susan Huebert
For many years, Tasse’s Balkan Foods was a good resource for residents of Elmwood, many of whom lived within walking distance.

Rifles loading up ahead of regular season

Tony Zerucha FOR FP COMMUNITY REVIEW 3 minute read Preview

Rifles loading up ahead of regular season

Tony Zerucha FOR FP COMMUNITY REVIEW 3 minute read Yesterday at 2:01 AM CDT

There will be plenty at stake when the Winnipeg Rifles host the College of Saint Scholastica Saints from Duluth, Minn., in an exhibition game at Maple Grove Park on Saturday, May 18 at 1 p.m.

Saint Scholastica is an NCAA Division III school, which plays in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC). Rifles head coach Geordie Wilson said this will mark the third time his Canadian Junior Football League team has faced an MIAC team. Wilson is in regular contact with most of the coaches, and said he expects it to become an annual tradition.

For the junior club, the game breaks up a long off-season and comes at the perfect time in the team’s development schedule. Wilson started with 147 players in rookie camp and has whittled that down to 107. By the time the regular season kicks off, the number will be 90.

Wilson and his coaching staff have gradually exposed their rookie players to a higher level of football. They began competing against each other before gaining reps against the team’s veterans. So far, the coach likes what he sees. But there’s nothing like game action, as coaches decide everything from the starters to the final roster spots. While the staff knows who some of the starters will be, there are plenty of jobs up for grabs.

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Supplied photo by Matt Hamilton
Winnipeg Rifles head coach Geordie Wilson is looking forward to his club’s exhibition game against the Saint Scholastica Saints, an NCAA Div. III team from Duluth, Minn.

In the ‘Land of the Midnight Sun’

Anne Yanchyshyn 3 minute read Preview

In the ‘Land of the Midnight Sun’

Anne Yanchyshyn 3 minute read Yesterday at 2:01 AM CDT

Margaret Sulymka tells a compelling story about her two summers spent out in our Far North.

After raising three sons as a farmer’s wife, driving a school bus, and spending 40 years as food manager in several hotels, Margaret decided to retire at age 64.

But a week later, in May, she accepted an exciting invitation to serve as head cook at a fishing lodge on Great Bear Lake in the Northwest Territories.

The group took off for the whole summer in a noisy, low-flying twin Otter first to Great Slave Lake, with its clouds of mosquitoes, before switching to a DC-10 for the larger Great Bear Lake, a boat ride and, finally, camp.

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Supplied photo
Margaret Sulymka is pictured here while on a pickerel fishing experience (not at Great Slave Lake).

A heart health program for women

Louise Hedman 3 minute read Preview

A heart health program for women

Louise Hedman 3 minute read Yesterday at 2:01 AM CDT

It’s not often we hear about a health-care initiative specifically for women aimed at preventing a serious health issue. I was given the opportunity to attend an information session for the Her Heart Her Way program through Access Transcona.

The session was quite informative and the response for attendance was better than expected, according to the organizers. The program is collaboration between the Reh-Fit Centre, Victoria Hospital Foundation and the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority and is free to all participants. Her Heart Her Way is a primary prevention program for women at risk of developing cardiovascular disease in the next 10 years. The program is a 12-month behavioral mentoring program open to all people who identify as women with the goal of reducing cardiovascular disease risk.

The first step is to determine if you are eligible for the program by contacting the organization or your primary caregiver, where they will screen you based on several health factors, including the Framingham risk score. If you are considered eligible you will be matched with a lifestyle behaviour mentor who will offer support throughout the 12-month process over the phone, virtually and in person. Your primary caregiver will be asked to provide assistance by providing requisition’s for blood testing and will be updated with the progress of the patient. Surprisingly, heart disease is the leading cause of death among women. A women passes of heart disease every 20 minutes.

Women may experience different symptoms as men when it comes to heart attacks. These are just some of symptoms to be aware of and are often dismissed as everyday aches and pains. You can go to several websites to view all possible symptoms. Chest pain may feel like a squeezing or fullness and can be anywhere in the chest. There may be pain in your neck, jaw or back or stomach pain such as extreme abdominal pressure, shortness of breath, nausea or light-headedness for no apparent reason. As well as a sudden nervous cold sweat not like stress related or perspiration, and finally tiredness even after resting, especially in the chest area.

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Dreamstime
It’s not often we hear about a health-care initiative specifically for women aimed at preventing a serious health issue. Her Heart Her Way is just such a program.

City news in brief — week of May 15, 2024

FP Community Review staff 2 minute read Preview

City news in brief — week of May 15, 2024

FP Community Review staff 2 minute read Yesterday at 2:01 AM CDT

Speeds reduced on four seasonal bike routes

Speed limits have dropped on four seasonal bike routes, starting the first weekend of May.

On Lyndale Drive (from Cromwell Street to Gauvin Street), Wellington Crescent (from Academy Road to Academy Road/Maryland Street) and Churchill Drive (between Hay Street and Jubilee Avenue), the speed limit has been reduced to 30 km/h.

On Kilkenny Drive, between Burgess Avenue and Kings Drive, and on Kings Drive between Kilkenny Drive and Patricia Avenue, the speed limit is 40 km/h.

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May 16, 2024

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