Southwest Winnipeg’s 2021 year in review

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This article was published 30/12/2021 (1048 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

As 2021 comes to a close, we look back on the year that was in stories from across southwest Winnipeg.

January: ‘Picture life without restaurants’ campaign hits home

With COVID-19 public health measures impacting in-person dining across the province, local restaurant owners encouraged Winnipeggers to support local through a national campaign.

Scot McTaggart, owner of Fusion Grill at 550 Academy Rd., asked people to support restaurants hit hard by the pandemic by ordering food for takeout or delivery.

“There have been so many challenges this year. With COVID-19 lockdowns, we’re operating at 20 per cent of our usual sales. That’s an 80 per cent drop,” Scot McTaggart, owner of Fusion Grill at 550 Academy Rd., told The Sou’wester.

“There are only three of us left working here; chef Lorna Murdoch, a cook, and myself answering the phones and doing the deliveries and all the social media and marketing.”

Ice garden, snow maze on the Assiniboine

Osborne Village resident Hazel Borys and her friend Charlene Brown were walking on the riverbank near the Hugo Street docks and thinking about the few things people are allowed to do during the pandemic lockdown.

“I came up with this idea to have a serpentine mediation loop made out of snow,” Borys told The Sou’wester at the time. “I’ve built spiral mazes before, but had never seen a serpentine one, so we had to make our own design.”

Borys and Brown recruited more friends to start shovelling snow on Christmas Day, including Serena Keshavjee, Kathryn Ready, Hennie Corrin and Hazel’s husband Stephen Borys to make up the creative crew. They decided on heaped-up snow cones with paths cut from the snow around them, with two larger, tiered snow structures anchoring each end of the maze. Borys calls these the “gardens.”

Borys cooked beets and used the concentrated red liquid to infuse water that she froze inside of balloons to form the ice globes which perch on top of the cones. Twigs with red berries frozen into rounds of ice are fixed on top of the tiers at the ends of the maze.

February: U of M alumni engaged in detecting coronavirus

A bioinformation services company run by a trio of University of Manitoba science alumni was instrumental in bringing same-day COVID-19 tests of asymptomatic individuals to the province.

Intrinsic Analytics, located on Taché Avenue at the Asper Institute on the St. Boniface Hospital campus, pivoted its lab services last spring to include RT-PCR assays of the coronavirus – the gold standard for such tests, according to the doctors who formed the company in 2012.

“We focus on individuals who may spread the virus unknowingly, such as asymptomatic and pre-symtomatic people, in order to detect the virus and limit its spread in workplaces or to the community,” Dr. Waylon Hunt told The Sou’wester.

Employers with workers required to travel, such as the trucking or aviation industries, or those who want to demonstrate the success of health and safety protocols at work, were among the company’s clients, as were employers in the film industry who wanted to ensure their crews were healthy to work.

The company collects and processes samples 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The COVID-19 test specimens can either be collected on-site at an employer’s place of business, or at an employee’s house or hotel.

Waverley West school site plans approved

On Feb. 3, Waverley West got one step closer to having a new elementary and junior-senior high school built on Bison Drive.

Coun. Janice Lukes (Waverley West) said approval for the site of the two buildings is a reason for celebration in the community, which currently sees many students bussed to other schools in the Pembina Trails School Division.

“This is a huge step required in a process that brings the project so much closer to construction,” Lukes said. “It’s exciting and a long time coming.”

The elementary will be a two-storey building with a floor area of 7,566 sq. m., while the high school will be three storeys, with a total size of 11,110 sq. m.

The 21-acre site is currently undeveloped, and there are plans to build a future recreation centre to the west. The area’s active transportation network will tie into the school site, allowing pedestrians and cyclists easy access.

March: Pembina Trails draft budget navigates funding shortfall

The Pembina Trails School Division presented a draft budget which, while balanced, would cut more than $7 million in enrolment growth and staff costs.

The draft budget included combined operating and capital expenditures of $183,156,077 and has an increase in those at $2.5 million or 1.4 per cent. The percentage reduction in school taxes on the average homeowner would be 2.6 per cent or $4.92 a month.

Board chair Kathleen McMillan said the realities of the current pandemic, the growing communities, inflation and a recent arbitration award meant Pembina Trails trustees were faced with difficult decisions.

“This is a year unlike any other,” McMillan said. “Our board’s priority is always to support the more than 15,000 students living in southwest Winnipeg. The reality of current fiscal challenges and underfunding means careful considerations at every level.”

Whyte Ridge club makes a new PAL

Pembina Active Living (PAL) 55-plus seniors signed an agreement to move into the Whyte Ridge Community Centre, after a five-year hunt for a new home.

Bob Roehle, PAL’s president, said the seniors’ organization’s current home at Grace Christian Church was proving to be too small for programming and drop-in programs.

“The church on Barnes Avenue shut down due to COVID, and we also knew they’re planning a condo development on their parking lot, which would also affect us,” he said. “We wanted a space, when we can return to in-person programming, that would be large enough for our group and have ample parking and outdoor space.”

PAL contracted to be at Whyte Ridge three days a week, during the daytime, and will have use of an office for their two staff members, a meeting room, multi-purpose room and a small kitchen.

April: Volunteers stitch care into every donated mask

As the COVID-19 pandemic surged on, a River Heights residents put together a group of more than 100 volunteers to sew masks for 15 inner-city non-profit organizations.

While sewing masks for family and friends at the beginning of the pandemic, O’Connor’s philanthropic mind began turning over ideas on how to expand and help more people. She wanted to help community service providers such as 1JustCity, the North End Women’s Centre, the West End Women’s Centre and the Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre, among others, keep their communities safe from COVID-19.

“I’m retired, and I have a background in sales and marketing, so I find it easy to cold-call people and ask them if they would like to sew masks,” O’Connor told The Sou’wester. “I talked to a quilter friend about where I could get a lot of fabric and elastic donated, and I also contacted Volunteer Manitoba about getting the word out that I needed sewers.”

More importantly, people responded all over the city. The volunteers range in age from high school students to seniors, and their sewing skills are just as varied, she said.

The cloth masks came in a variety of shapes and construction methods, and in men’s, women’s and children’s sizes. Some were simple three-fold patterns while other masks include nose wires and a layer of polypropylene fabric. O’Connor said she was selective about the type of fabric used for the masks, as some fabrics such as broadcloth do not perform well at filtering air.

St. Maurice students show concern about Vic workers

A Grade 11 student at St. Maurice School helped organize care packages for workers at their local hospital.

Manjot Sawhney got the idea the previous during history class when students were presenting news articles.

“There were so many stories about mental health problems as people in health care struggled to deal with the pandemic,” he said. “I wanted to do something for them.”

The result was 100 care packages delivered to the urgent care staff at the Victoria General Hospital late in March, greeted with gratitude by the workers.

The group ended up spending four months and more than 50 volunteer hours to make the idea a reality. It was awarded a $2,000 micro-grant from the Duke of Edinburgh Foundation of Canada.

The students contacted the Victoria Hospital to find out what health-care workers might like to see in a care package.

Every single box also contained a personal thank-you card written by a student at the school, which featured a QR code linked to a video of students talking about their appreciation of health-care workers.

May: Beer Can offers local brews at the Granite

Local beer, local music and local food were all on tap at a newly opened outdoor beer garden in the West Broadway neighbourhood.

The Beer Can opened May 1 in the east parking lot at the Granite Curling Club and has already seen steady business despite the cool weather at the beginning of the month. It operated the summer before at a location on Main Street.

Co-owner Jenna Khan told The Sou’wester she loved the idea of bringing life to the curling club and offering great beer and tasty tacos to the neighbourhood.

“My partners, Brad Chute and Neal MacDonald, are both members of the curling club. They met with the board and talked about what we could do here,” Khan said, noting they hoped The Beer Can will once again provide a space where people can enjoy local entertainment and cold drinks while gathering safely with family and friends.

After a winter in lockdown with two out of three members of the ownership team unemployed due to COVID-19, Chute said he’s excited to open the doors and share the new space with the community.

Along with a lineup of local beers, ciders, wine and feature craft cocktails, The Beer Can added a restaurant component to the space this year with the Beer Cantina. Working in consultation with members of the local Mexican community, the Beer Cantina elevated Mexican culture in its menu, and rented the kitchen space at the curling club.

Wobbly boards at River Heights arena prompt rebuild

Thirty year-old dasher boards at the Corydon Community Centre’s River Heights Arena was in need of repair due to them being a safety hazard.

“Those boards have been moving for the past 20 years with the permafrost,” said Abbie Bajon, general manager of the Corydon Community Centre, which oversees the operation of the River Heights Arena. “This past winter, we only allowed the younger kids to use the arena due to the safety issue.”

The plan was to rip out the old boards, dig down and put a screw pile system with a stable grade beam on top for the new boards to sit on, according to the application made to the city. The project received a $100,000 community incentive grant from the City Centre community committee on May 4.

The community centre will use just over $200,000 from their reserve fund for the project, along with $50,000 from another grant source. In total, that comes to just under $370,000 for the project, which falls short of what Bajon estimates will be required.

The centre also planned to launch a community fundraiser.

June: Jubilee residents taking city to court over plans

In June, a group of residents filed a lawsuit against the City of Winnipeg’s decision to allow a pair of apartments to be built on Jubilee Avenue near Pembina Highway.

Bennie Gusnowsky said the neighbourhood has had enough, after taking the time to make presentations at a number of city committees meetings against the plans by Vishin Developments and property owner Chong Kim Mok for a pair of six-plex apartments on vacant land at 912 and 914 Jubilee.

“City hall isn’t listening to our concerns and we’re disillusioned with the process,” said Gusnowsky, a 17-year resident of Fort Garry who lives next door to the properties.

Eighteen neighbours joined forces and filed an application in the Court of Queen’s Bench on May 21 against the city.

The city appeals committee approved the plans on April 23. This was the second round of appeals hearings regarding the proposed apartments, with a previous hearing on Feb. 18.

July: Studying the psychological toll of COVID-19

Led by Dr. Harvey Max Chochinov, a distinguished professor of psychiatry and researcher, a team of physicians and researchers from the departments of internal medicine, palliative care, psychiatry and clinical psychology are conducting a series of studies looking at the pandemic’s effects on patients, their families and health-care professionals.

“COVID-19 is affecting people across these three pillars and we need to know something about the emotional response people are having in the course of nearing the end of life,” Chochinov said.

The team is looking at people who have died from any cause over the past 18 months, as everyone has been influenced by COVID-19, he added.

Once the studies are complete, Chochinov hopes we learn how to provide better palliative care and how to better help families. Better policies in several areas could be informed by the results.

Winnipeg TikTok star featured in Sephora ad campaign

A Winnipeg TikTok star was chosen by beauty brand Sephora to model in an all-Indigenous ad campaign.

Sephora announced the campaign in June, which aimed to “amplify the voices of Indigenous Peoples in Canada while paying homage to their knowledge, wisdom, diverse strengths and teachings,” according to the company’s news release.

“My goal was to inspire Indigenous youth to come out of the shadows and be themselves,” Chubb told The Sou’wester. “I know a lot of Indigenous girls and boys who are shy because of what we’re told growing up. I just want them to be comfortable in their own skin.”

Chubb’s photographs appeared at more than 80 Sephora locations and on the beauty retailer’s digital platforms.

August: BDI fundraises for residential school survivors

During the month of August, Bridge Drive-In was slinging orange-dipped cones to raise money for residential school survivors.

One dollar from every cone they sold was donated to the Indian Residential School Survivors Society (IRSSS), an organization that provides essential services to Residential School Survivors, their families and those dealing with intergenerational traumas.

The idea came to Lexi Greechan, inventory supervisor at BDI, on Canada Day. The vigils and protests held across the country in the wake of unmarked graves being found at residential schools sites made her reflect on Indigenous issues.

“My best friend is Indigenous and his father was a Sixties Scoop kid,” Greechan said at the time. “I take it personally because I see the struggles his family has gone through. I just wanted to show my support for the community.”

BDI handed out approximately 40 cones each day at their Winnipeg location, and their Kenora, Ont., food truck blew through supplies.

New food delivery service added to the menu

Chokecherry Kitchen, a new meal subscription service in Winnipeg, was featured in the Aug. 4 issue of The Sou’wester.

Owners Kayla Major and her mother, Tamara Dmyterko, founded the company in the hopes of offering healthy and nutritious foods at a lower cost than what you would find on Skip the Dishes or DoorDash.

“We wanted to give people the luxury of getting a really good product at a cheaper cost,” Major said. “We’re best matched for anybody with a lack of time, money, interest or ability to cook.”

September: Plan in the works to honour residential school survivors

The Assiniboia Residential School Legacy Group was featured in the Sept. 22 issue of The Sou’wester.

The team of seven, including residential school survivor Mabel Horton, is in the process of planning a commemorative marker for the school’s grounds. It will include the original school sign, a meeting circle and panel installation featuring the students’ communities referenced by traditional name.

“I wasn’t abused, but I still left home and was away from my family,” Horton said. “My brother and sister were there, but I wasn’t allowed to see them, except on Sundays.”

After the commemorative marker is complete, the Assiniboia Residential School Legacy Group is hoping to rename Wellington Park to Ted Fontaine Park, a previous member of the Legacy Group.

Candidates contend for Winnipeg South and Winnipeg South Centre

Local incumbents were re-elected as members of parliament following the Sept. 20 federal election.

Jim Carr, who was first elected to Parliament in 2015 when the Liberals formed a majority government, secured the Winnipeg South Centre riding.

“There’s still so much more work to do on climate change, becoming partners with Indigenous communities and providing affordable housing,” Carr told The Sou’wester prior to the election.

In the Winnipeg South riding, incumbent Liberal MP Terry Duguid retained his seat after claiming his third consecutive win.

Duguid finished with 22,422 votes, or 47.5 per cent.

“I’m very grateful to have another term in Winnipeg South and serve the citizens of this amazing community,” he said. “I intend to work very hard. My office will be focused on the people of Winnipeg South and serving them to the best of my ability.”

October: Former Manitoba premier Brian Pallister resigns as MLA for Fort Whyte

Just over a month after stepping down as premier of Manitoba, Brian Pallister announced his resignation as MLA for Fort Whyte.

Pallister’s resignation went into effect immediately, according to a news release issued by Manitoba’s Progressive Conservative Party on Oct. 4.

“It has been the greatest honour of my life serving the citizens of Manitoba these past nine years in the legislature,” Pallister said in the statement.

Pallister stepped down as party leader on Sept. 1. His resignation came just days before the legislature resumed its fall session.

The Manitoba elections act requires that a byelection must be held within six months, a PC spokesperson old The Sou’wester in an email.

Plaza celebrating diverse languages unveiled

On Oct. 12, organizers officially cut the ribbon on the International Mother Language Plaza, a gathering place and sculpture installation in the Richmond West neighbourhood.

The Plaza was initiated by Manitoba Bangladesh Bhaban Corp. two years ago and acknowledges the struggles many groups face when trying to preserve their mother language.

Kwhaja Latif, president of the Manitoba Bangladesh Bhaban Corp., told the crowd he was “totally warmed” by the turnout before thanking everyone involved in the plaza’s creation.

“When we leave our countries and settle somewhere, we ultimately lose our language.” Latif said. “This place is for contemplation. A person that has lost their own language and culture ultimately makes them devoid of self-esteem and identity. They lose hope and connections.”

November: Remembrance Day service a ‘community effort’

In November, the St. Norbert Remembrance Day service went virtual for the second year in a row.

In 2008, Art Bloomfield, a longtime St. Norbert resident, was walking his grandson to school when he took a closer look at an overgrown cenotaph in the cemetery. The monument was a forgotten homage to 13 men who fought and died in the First World War and were connected to the St. Norbert community.

Soon after, Bloomfield and his wife, Wendy, made it their mission to ensure the cenotaph and fallen men were honoured each year on Remembrance Day.

“We were just going to do it as a family, but we ended up having about 50 people show up the first year,” Bloomfield told The Sou’wester at the time.

Residential school survivor please for postcards

In October, shortly after Canada observed the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Vivian Ketchum went on the radio to put out a call for postcards in the hope of continuing the conversation.

At the time, she had received approximately 40 postcards from people of all ages, backgrounds and locations.

A group of Vincent Massey Collegiate students responded to Ketchum’s request after their teacher, Liam Francis, heard her radio interview.

“I thought it was something we could do as a club since we’re trying to promote good things around our school and around our city,” Francis told The Sou’wester at the time.

December: Community centre soccer at risk of being cut

The Whyte Ridge Community Centre issued a request for volunteers for its kid’s soccer programming.

President Kimberley O’Hara said the centre’s mini soccer program is down to two volunteers from its previous 12, not including coaches.

Without more volunteers, the programming risks being cut.

“Two volunteers just can’t sustain the amount of work,” O’Hara said. “The soccer program used to have many volunteers but, over time, we’ve lost quite a few because of COVID and the fact we didn’t have soccer for two years.”

Whyte Ridge Community Centre told The Sou’wester they have until February to secure about five or six new volunteers.

‘Neighbours helping neighbours’

In December, a terminally ill woman from Fort Richmond gave back to the community for the second holiday season in a row by organizing a hamper drive.

“It started with a bucket list and the sentence, ‘Save a neighbourhood,’” Webster told The Sou’wester.  “I had no idea how to do that, and then suddenly South Winnipeg Assists Santa existed. We didn’t save an entire neighbourhood, but we saved part of it.”

South Winnipeg Assists Santa, a community-run initiative aiming to keep the holiday spirit alive, creates Christmas hampers for families struggling to celebrate the season.

This year, the group had 14 families they delivered hampers to.