A busy December, and a sad farewell

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 27/12/2021 (1052 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

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.

If you have an exciting project in mind and believe you meet the criteria, call 204-470-2364 or email bsc@gov.mb.ca for more information or to fill out your application.

One recipient of many past Building Sustainable Communities grants is the Dakota Community Centre, and I was pleased to attend their recent annual general meeting with Seine River MLA Janice Morley–Lecomte, Winnipeg South MP Terry Duguid and city councillor Markus Chambers (St. Norbert-Seine River). I was honoured to congratulate and thank their board of directors, staff and volunteers for their tremendous work in helping safely re-open the centre and bringing back recreational activities and events to our community. It was a pleasure to see board chair Christian Kennedy and CEO Michele Augert and to learn more about their exciting plans for the future. On Dec. 23, I was pleased to be one of the sponsors of the Skate with Santa at Dakota and it was wonderful to be on the ice with members of the community and, of course, Santa Claus.

Earlier this month, I was pleased to honour an amazing Riel constituent, Dr. Amanda Malboeuf with a private member’s statement in the legislature for her inspiring commitment to our community.

Dr. Malboeuf is a doctor of veterinary medicine and recent nominee at the Empower Women 2021 Awards. She works tirelessly to advocate for the health of every pet that comes through the doors of Winrose Animal Hospital, where she works, and has donated many surgical hours to provide service at low costs to the Winnipeg Humane Society, K9 Advocates and Winnipeg Animal Services. I was honoured to recognize her as an outstanding member of our community.

As we close out the year and as I finish writing my final column for 2021, I will end on a rather solemn and sad note with a tribute to an MLA colleague who tragically lost her life on Dec. 9.

Danielle Adams was elected in Thompson in the 2019 election and was the first woman to represent that community in the legislature. She was a strong advocate for her community and for initiatives she was passionate about, particularly child care. As one woman to another in a legislature where so few of us sit, she will be sadly missed. May she rest in peace.