The Lance – Our Communities

File photo by Sheldon Birnie
The City of Winnipeg is currently seeking public input on its enhanced summer bike program.

City’s AT survey seeks feedback for report

Simon Fuller 2 minute read Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022

Board members of the Norwood Flats Residents’ Association want everyone in the community to have the chance to take a survey about the city’s 2021 enhanced summer bike program.

This survey also contains a number of questions about the Open Streets program, through which vehicular access to certain streets, like Lyndale Drive, was limited from May to November.

This survey is currently online on the City of Winnipeg’s website. Board member and local resident Leonie Stranc told The Lance recently that residents may not realize that the survey is also gathering feedback on the Open Streets program. Those community members who would prefer a paper copy of the survey can call 204-986-4243 to request one. She said the survey should take about five minutes to complete and the deadline for survey responses is Fri, Dec. 17. The feedback will be presented in a report to city council next year.

“In this cycling survey, the City of Winnipeg is also looking for feedback on whether to continue to limit motor vehicle traffic to one block on Open Streets until permanent cycling infrastructure has been decided,” Stranc said. “As far as I am aware, there is currently no time frame for the cycling infrastructure plan to be completed. Our local ‘open street’ is Lyndale Drive, which had vehicular traffic limited to one block from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. between May and November this year,” she added.

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A year in review

Simon Fuller 29 minute read Preview

A year in review

Simon Fuller 29 minute read Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2021

It’s been another unforgettable year for Winnipeggers for countless reasons — not least because of the continued impact of the ongoing pandemic.

That said, Winnipeggers are nothing if not resilient. And once again, many of their stories have been told in The Lance this year. As 2022 approaches, here are a few of the stories that were featured in 2021.

January: Educating beyond borders

As the year turned, the learning curve relating to COVID-19 continued, and La Liberté once again collaborated with a number of partners to create a new children’s science magazine.

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Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2021

Photo by Simon Fuller
Eight-year-old Grady Batchelor received a kidney transplant on April 1. From March 11 to 18, the community at École Julie-Riel organized Kidney Kare — an extra special spirit week for him.

A year in local sport

Simon Fuller 7 minute read Preview

A year in local sport

Simon Fuller 7 minute read Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2021

Since March 2020, the world of organized sports — like so many worlds — has been turned upside down in light of the ongoing pandemic.

However, as restrictions this year have moved back and forth, the history books will testify to numerous outstanding and impressive achievements and milestones at different levels of sport in southeast Winnipeg in 2021.

Here are a few of those stories:

Scholarship preserves memory of local rower

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Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2021

Supplied photo
Mike Caryk is pictured here on the water. The St. Vital resident was one of four recipients of this year’s Peter Nykoluk Rowing Scholarships.

It’s never too soon for a tornado plan

Michele Kading 3 minute read Preview

It’s never too soon for a tornado plan

Michele Kading 3 minute read Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2021

As I watched the news about the devastating tornado in the United States, I silently thanked my grade school teachers and parents. They gave me knowledge and skills to protect myself from many dangers I would face in life.

Schools played a huge role in keeping every child safe. The school nurse gave us vaccines. Teachers taught us to stay safe on roads; to always walk on the shoulder facing traffic. To use hand signals when riding our bikes on the streets. They even taught us what to do in a tornado. Visiting a small town after a tornado with my family gave me a healthy respect for this powerful force of nature. I learned to read the prairie sky for warnings and to trust my instincts when I feel danger in the air.

On Aug. 20, 2006, I saw the signs. It was a Sunday afternoon. I was on my deck facing north. The sky had a yellowish-brown cast. The hair on the back of my neck stood up. Clouds were moving fast from west to east. Then I saw it, a small funnel extending down from a dark cloud. I snapped a few pictures as I judged its distance and direction — ready to take cover if needed. My neighbours were unaware of the danger as they flipped burgers and enjoyed a backyard pool party.

The next day, newspapers reported that Winnipeg had narrowly missed a tornado. It skirted just north of my house — flipping over small planes at the St. Andrews airport. Canada’s first-ever F5 tornado touched down the next year just 30 kilometres west in Elie, Man.

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Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2021

Photo by Michele Kading
One of many funnel clouds that threatened Winnipeg on Aug. 20, 2006.

Pickleball – the ‘new kid on the block’

Anne Yanchyshyn 3 minute read Preview

Pickleball – the ‘new kid on the block’

Anne Yanchyshyn 3 minute read Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2021

Last summer a member of our Dakota Community Centre, Kevin Brown, suggested I write a column in The Lance about a popular game called pickleball.

“It’s universal,” he said, “and Snowbirds play it down south.”

Pickleball is reputed to be the fastest-growing sport in North America. Take a bow, pickleball – you’re the “new kid on the block.” The Internet offers a great explanation about its origin and name but no, there is no pickle in Pickleball!

Briefly: three golfers in the northwestern United States devised this hybrid sport using simple materials on hand just to have some relaxing fun with family and friends. It is based on elements of tennis, ping pong, and badminton. The court is medium-sized and the game can be played by young and old and those between. A large paddle or bat and a plastic ball the size of a tennis ball — with larger holes for indoors and smaller holes for outdoors to counteract winds —completes the equipment list.

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Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2021

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A pickleball paddle and ball, pictured on an outdoor court.

St. Vital Museum now open two days a week

Bob Holliday 2 minute read Preview

St. Vital Museum now open two days a week

Bob Holliday 2 minute read Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2021

At my stage of life, I don’t get too excited about much, but the one thing I look forward to seeing every Monday is the continuing changes to the St. Vital Museum, which I must say, have been impressive over the course of the past few months.

I’d like to take credit for the changes, but I can’t because that belongs to Jared Warkentin, who has transformed the former St. Vital fire hall into a museum showcasing the history of the second-oldest settlement in Winnipeg.

Don’t take my word for the new look, take a look yourself any Saturday or Tuesday, beginning Dec. 28.

Yes, you read that correctly — the St. Vital Museum will be open to visitors two days a week thanks to the availability of Warkentin.

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Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2021

Photo by Bob Holliday
Jared Warkentin poses at the St. Vital Museum with a “shovel fiddle” (and a plunger bow) once owned by Jimmy Moore.

Let’s support one another in this difficult time

Markus Chambers 2 minute read Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2021

I wish to start by wishing everyone the very best of the holiday season, hoping that 2022 brings much happiness, health, prosperity and much needed travel when appropriate.

The Province of Manitoba introduced new health restrictions which came into effect on Dec. 21, 2021. These restrictions are in place until Jan. 11, 2022 with further review as circumstances dictate. The Omicron variant now in every province in Canada has forced the hands of every provincial government to enact enhanced restrictions at this critical time as the transmissibility rate of this strain spreads much quicker than the previous Delta variant.

Although many residents anticipated a relatively normal holiday season, the additional restrictions have placed us where we were at this time last year (although larger family gatherings are allowed this season).

The new restrictions and uncertainty of how they will affect us, as well as when this will all end, impacts our mental health and wellbeing. If you are feeling overwhelmed, there are resources available to help including:

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A busy December, and a sad farewell

Rochelle Squires 3 minute read Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2021

Merry Christmas and happy new year to everyone.

What a year it has been. There have been many highlights and moments to celebrate — particularly when we saw our Winnipeg Blue Bombers bring home the Grey Cup for the second time in a row — but there have been struggles too as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to challenge us all.

I hope that you and your loved ones have been able to spend time together safely to celebreate the season.

December is always a busy month, and top of the list is getting the word out about the Building Sustainable Communities intake happening now. Applications for community development grants of up to $300,000 are being accepted until Jan. 17, 2022, from non-profit and charitable organizations, as well as municipalities.

A year in the life of Winnipeg

Simon Fuller 3 minute read Preview

A year in the life of Winnipeg

Simon Fuller 3 minute read Thursday, Dec. 23, 2021

A local artist has created a Winnipeg-themed calendar that will not only help buyers organize the coming year ahead, but also benefit a downtown community health facility.

South Winnipeg resident Kris Kuzdub created an annual calendar with a new Winnipeg-focused theme every year, and the 2022 edition features 12 distinct neighbourhoods across the city, she told The Lance recently. With each calendar purchased, Kuzdub will donate $10 from the sale to the Main Street Project.

Kuzdub said each calendar month features a different community depicted by a hand-drawn design. The neighbourhoods include recognizable landmarks, signage, notable river bends, and “even some infamous roadways that give each neighbourhood its unique character and identity.” In southeast Winnipeg, there are months dedicated to St. Boniface and Old St. Vital.

The new calendar comes on the heels of this year’s calendar, which showcases Winnipeg landmarks and includes a recognizable local building every month. This calendar was created not long after Kuzdub lost her job in the urban design field because of the pandemic, which is when she established Kirsch Street Prints. And even though Kirsch Street Prints was relatively new venture at that time, Kuzdub managed to raise more than $300 in donations at a time when many people were struggling due to the impact of COVID-19.

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Thursday, Dec. 23, 2021

Supplied photo
Local artist Kris Kuzdub is pictured outside the Winnipeg Art Gallery with one of the sketches that’s included in her 2022 calendar.

Rambling along with … The Unexpected Gift

Weldon Rinn 4 minute read Preview

Rambling along with … The Unexpected Gift

Weldon Rinn 4 minute read Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2021

Tara Torchia is the owner of The Unexpected Gift, a unique, compassionate, caring, and genuinely empathetic business — which we all should be aware of.

First we’ll meet Tara… and as with all my columns, I’ll let her tell her own story:

“I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012, I went through a mastectomy, six rounds of chemotherapy and 25 blasts of radiation — the full-meal deal,” she said. “I was off work for about one year and when I went back, people were still complaining about the same things. After my experience, I knew that the only people that can change their situation are themselves. I felt that I could simply not ‘do’ corporate Canada anymore.

“I took a business development course with the Women’s Enterprise Centre and the rest is history. I also felt there had to be an easier way of going through this cancer dance, so I thought ‘Why not have everything that you might need in one location — a one stop shop, owned and operated by a cancer survivor? Someone who can really relate to what you are going through,” she explained.

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Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2021

Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press
Tara Torchia, owner of The Unexpected Gift, shows off a sample holiday gift box, just one of the many things her business offers cancer patients and survivors.

Infrastructure builds communities

Dan Vandal 2 minute read Preview

Infrastructure builds communities

Dan Vandal 2 minute read Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2021

When we think about what builds a community, we first think of people. But there is also the large amount of infrastructure that surrounds it, things such as recreational centres, libraries, sidewalks, pathways, water and wastewater, transit and roads.

The Canada Community-Building Fund, formerly the Gas Tax Fund, provides communities across Manitoba with stable and flexible funding for their infrastructure priorities. This year, our government doubled the amount of funding allocated, which means that Manitoba has received $75.8 million for the 2021-22 fiscal year, and a top-up of more than $72.5 million.

Of this funding, Winnipeg will benefit from $46.4 million and a $44.4 million top-up, for a total of more than $90.8 million to help the City of Winnipeg maintain and improve its infrastructure. Municipalities allocate these funds to carry out infrastructure projects that support the well-being of their residents, and can use the funds immediately for priority projects, bank them for later use, pool the dollars with other communities for shared infrastructure projects, or use them to finance major infrastructure expenditures.

I am pleased to see the impact that the Canada Community-Building Fund is having in Saint Boniface – Saint Vital. It has helped fund important renovations at Bonivital Pool, major road renewal on streets like Archibald and Dunkirk, and a planned new splash pad at Champlain Community Centre.

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Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2021

Supplied photo
A new splash pad is coming to Champlain Community Centre.

Notes from the legislature

Janice Morley-Lecomte 3 minute read Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2021

As we are now in the depths of the winter season, it can be difficult to find fun activities to take part in, but here are a few you should know about:

• This year, in lieu of the Breakfast with Santa, Dakota Community Centre will be hosting a Skate with Santa event on Dec. 23. Families can enjoy a great winter activity and get their pictures taken with Santa Claus.

• The St. Norbert Arts Centre is holding Community Sundays in December, featuring activities including an outdoor winter wonderland, featuring a bonfire, snow art, ice sculptures, hot apple cider, and much more.

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Nelson McIntyre’s Backyard Project

Louise Johnston 3 minute read Preview

Nelson McIntyre’s Backyard Project

Louise Johnston 3 minute read Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2021

It’s hard to believe it’s December 2021. Each of us in the Louis Riel School Division have adjusted and readjusted to the changes necessitated by the pandemic.

Our community has spent the last 20-plus months pushing through our limitations and discovering that our capabilities were far beyond what we thought possible. Many of our students are now back to a more regular learning routine alongside their peers, participating in sports, playing music, discovering their passions and so much more.

Education has a way of presenting new paths. The inspiration in teaching and learning has united us through the pandemic. Together, we found ways to be kind and supportive. Whether its through virtual or in-person classes, we continued to build and nurture relationships.

I am truly grateful to work alongside our staff, parents, guardians, and grandparents. Thank you for your voices, expertise, and commitment to creating an engaging learning space for our students to flourish through this challenging time.

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Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2021

Supplied image
Blueprints for the Backyard Project at Nelson McIntyre Collegiate.

Tomorrow isn’t promised, so live today

Janine LeGal 3 minute read Preview

Tomorrow isn’t promised, so live today

Janine LeGal 3 minute read Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2021

What a year it’s been. Twelve months of uncertainty and worrisome headline news. Most, if not all, of us have been impacted either directly or indirectly by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. And nobody really knows when it will end. But we are still here. Waking up every morning and forging ahead with our days, doing the best we can.

It’s easy enough to make a long list of some of the harsh and heart-breaking consequences of the pandemic. But it’s the end of the year so I thought instead I’d focus on the positive side of things. I heard Canadian actor/singer Tom Jackson in an interview last week. He said, “the one thing that this world needs more than anything else is joy.” His words really resonated for me. I think we forget sometimes that we are meant to experience joy, that joy exists all around us and is available to us in so many forms, and at all times.

I know I’m not alone when I say that this last year has been a time of reflection like no other. I’ve reviewed my priorities, cleaned house, if you will, taken inventory of what matters most to me and tried my best to focus on that and forget about the rest. The pandemic has left many vulnerable, has reminded us that nothing is to be taken for granted. Quality of life has come centre stage and I think that’s a good thing.

I took my first flight in two years to visit friends in Vancouver last month. The west coast air never felt so good, the rain never felt so refreshing, and every minute with friends was cherished more than ever. Five days there felt like five hours. It all happened so fast but I’m sure glad it happened.

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Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2021

Photo by Janine LeGal
Here’s to a year of soul-clearing reflection and to better days ahead.

What a difference a year made in Royalwood

Tanya Misseghers 3 minute read Preview

What a difference a year made in Royalwood

Tanya Misseghers 3 minute read Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2021

We began 2021 in code-red pandemic conditions, but that didn’t stop area resident Tony Braccio from launching Italian eatery Pasta di Casa.

By the time we reached late August, Blush Massage + Beauty was able to open its doors on St. Anne’s Road, across the street from Southglen Shopping Centre.

Along the way, we met Denise Turanli and Mike Boychuk of Royal Wicker, who design and create their own line of outdoor furniture. Most recently, lawyer Ifeyinwa Echezona described her journey of arriving from Nigeria to living in her Royalwood dream home and opening her own practice.

Stories of young people in our neighbourhood following their passions and contributing to our community came to the forefront.

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Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2021

Supplied photo
Max M. was one of the Royalwood youth making a difference in the neighbourhood in 2021, raising $743 for Save our Seine.

Legendary “spirit tree” remnant has new home

Staff writer 2 minute read Preview

Legendary “spirit tree” remnant has new home

Staff writer 2 minute read Monday, Dec. 20, 2021

Part of the carved “spirit tree” that stood majestically in the Bois-des-Esprits forest in Royalwood for the best part of two decades has a new home at the Musée de Saint-Boniface Museum.

According to a joint news release from the museum and Save Our Seine, the famed tree known as Woody-Mhitik was carved from the base of an elm tree — its lower trunk was stripped and salvaged after its crown was removed because of Dutch elm disease in 2004.

Local carvers Walter Mirosh and Robert Leclair transformed the tree into two spirits — one looking up into the Bois-des-Esprits’ leafy canopy, and the other facing an oxbow of the nearby Seine River. Time finally caught up with the legendary tree this past summer.

The museum (494 Tache Ave.) is now exhibiting Woody-Mhitik’s oxbow face in its chapel room, along with interpretive signage that accompanied the sculpture in its original location in the forest. Organizers say the tree succumbed to old age and crumbled to the ground in August, and although the canopy was beyond salvation, longtime SOS supporter and former board member Marcel Ritchot retrieved and restored the oxbow face.

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Monday, Dec. 20, 2021

November 13, 2024

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