MITT powwow celebrates student success

The Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology (130 Henlow Bay) held a graduation powwow to celebrate the success of its Indigenous students on April 12. The day began with a pipe ceremony led by MITT’s knowledge keeper, Lori Hart, followed by the grand entry at noon hosted by MC Ray (Coco) Stevenson and arena director Marcel French. Drumming and dancing continued throughout the day, which concluded with a feast.

Three-peat for Junior Canucks

There’s a dynasty in the making in sunny St. James.

On April 14, the St. James Junior Canucks defeated the Pembina Valley Twisters 5-1 in front of a home crowd at Ab McDonald Arena in the St. James Civic Centre to win a third-straight Manitoba Major Junior Hockey League championship.

“It’s awesome,” said Blair Mooney, head coach of the Canucks for the past nine years. “It’s what you do it for, to try to achieve the ultimate goal of winning.”

“It feels pretty special,” added team captain Kale Price. “It’s tough enough to win one championship, never mind a back-to-back, and then a third one.”

Running down a dream

Hannah Yang, a 19-year-old author with cerebral palsy, launched her first book last week — a 24-page children’s story called The Magical Runner.

The experience has left her feeling “surreal,” she said, but excited in equal measure.

Yang’s disease limits her muscle movement and causes her to tire more quickly than others her age. It also affects her speech, so she communicates by text message.

The fantasy tale features an eight-year-old Yang as its main character, who must compete in a race of epic proportions. Although she’s faced by a variety of different elements — both real and fantastical, such as a dragon destroying her class’s school bus — she remains true to herself and presses on, aided by the support of her friends and family.

Pitching in to keep Pioneers Greenway clean

If the Northeast Pioneers Greenway looks a little cleaner this week, you can thank the local Scouts.

On Wednesday, April 24, members of the 1st John de Graaf Scouts and 1st Sun Valley Scouts will be out cleaning up trash along the greenway, which runs between Raleigh Street and Gateway Road. Scouts, Cubs, and Beavers from 1st John de Graaf will be picking up trash between McLeod and Munroe avenues, while Scouts, Cubs, and Beavers from 1st Sun Valley will be cleaning up the area north of McLeod. A joint group of Ventures, the oldest group under Scouts Canada, from both Sun Valley and John de Graaf will be cleaning between Kimberly and McLeod.

“There isn’t much of a rivalry, per se. The only competition is to clean up the most garbage. The real winner is northeast Winnipeg,” said Daryl Adair, a leader with the 1st John de Graaf Scouts. “It’s fitting that our combined groups will be working together.”

Adair expects between 50 and 60 kids will be out from each troop, along with group leaders and parent volunteers. This marks the third straight spring the John de Graaf troop has been out on the Greenway.

Walker to run for vacant LRSD school trustee position

Ian Walker is throwing his hat into the ring to become a Louis Riel School Division trustee.

The 43-year-old Norwood Flats resident intends to run in the June 6 byelection in LRSD’s Ward 1 to fill the vacant seat left by former trustee Francine Champagne, who resigned last November after a controversial time in the role.

Walker, an educator for the last 19 years, is a Grade 1 and 2 teacher at Hampstead School in East Kildonan. Married to Sarah, the pair has two children that attend French immersion schools in the division. Walker himself is bilingual.

“Being a teacher and a parent, I have a real commitment to making sure we have a strong education system and strong leadership at the school board level,” Walker said recently, noting he’s been working at Hampstead School for the last 13 years.

We Are Hockey exhibit visits Maples Collegiate

Sikh Heritage Manitoba presents We Are Hockey exhibit at Maples Collegiate

Sikh Heritage Manitoba, in collaboration with Coun. Devi Sharma (Old Kildonan) invited members of the public to view the We Are Hockey exhibit at Maples Collegiate on Sunday, April 14, as part of Sikh Heritage Month.

The exhibit, curated by Dr. Satwinder Kaur Bains of the South Asian Studies Institute at the University of Fraser Valley, challenges the traditional narrative of hockey by examining issues such as race, ethnicity and decolonization. It was on display at True North Sports + Entertainment’s Hockey for All Centre between December and March, where over 265,300 people had the opportunity to view it.

The exhibit will be on display at Amber Trails Community School for the rest of April. For more information on We Are Hockey, visit sikhheritagemanitoba.ca

The scoop on The Inside Scoop

The Inside Scoop is a seasonal magazine which aims to provide a safe, artistic outlet for incarcerated people in Manitoba, or those who have recently been incarcerated

The magazine’s spring edition was published last week by the John Howard Society of Manitoba. It features a collection of visual art, writing, and poetry, and is available online and in print form — upon request — through the organization.

The Inside Scoop published its first issue in 1993, and has been steadily active and growing since — save for a pandemic-related hiatus. Editor Annica Dickens took on the role in 2021 — it’s a duty that comes with her primary position as a literacy instructor.

In the past three years, Dickens has already noticed the bridging effect it has on contributors and readers, both within and outside the justice system.

Models for the masses

Attention modellers young and old — ValourCon is swooping back in to the Royal Canadian Legion, St. James Branch No. 4 (1755 Portage Ave.) on April 26 and 27.

The modelling contest and convention is hosted by International Plastic Modellers Society (IPMS) Winnipeg, also known as the Valour Road Chapter of IPMS Canada, which meets regularly on the second floor of the Legion. On the evening of April 26 and all day April 27 the space will display with more than 140 museum-grade scale models.

The convention began as a small contest amongst the artists, and has since grown into a showcase of modelled art from around the province. Prior to a hiatus brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, ValourCon saw people from nearby provinces travelling long distances to view the work on display.

“The last time that we (did) this, we got up to 200 people dropping in and visiting, not necessarily being active participants, but just being there to see what it was all about,” said Bill Zuk, a member of the group since 1970.

New production company pulling out all the stops

There’s a new community theatre company in town.

Hood & Dagger Productions is a new venture launched by theatre-loving husband-wife duo Brian and Crystal Hood.

“The vision behind our company is to harness the power of community collaboration in order to thrill people’s hearts and minds,” Brian explained. “Community is a purposeful word in that. We want theatre to be more than theatre, and involve others in the community, vendors and not-for-profits, so that when people come together, it’s more than just seeing a show.”

“We’re hoping to provide opportunities for people who maybe have never acted before, while providing mentor opportunities for those with experience,” Crystal added. “It’s a safe, inclusive space where anyone is safe to try new ideas and collaborate.”

Parent council fills gaps in public school funding

Last week, orders closed for École Riverview School’s 2024 plant fundraiser through Glenlea Greenhouses.

It is one of several fundraisers the school’s parent council takes on every year to support expenditures ranging from staff appreciation activities to capital projects such as a new play structure. The funds raised from this plant sale will go toward revitalizing the school library, according to Jillian Recksiedler, member of École Riverview School’s parent advisory council.

In addition to fundraising, Recksiedler says ERSPAC runs the school-lunch program, among other functions. While she finds value in this level of involvement in her child’s school, she experiences first-hand the challenges presented by a public education system with only so much money to go around.

“They’re given this much money. And the administration… needs to decide how to spend that and what gets cut, unfortunately,” Recksiedler said.

Malnutrition not as uncommon as you think

According to the Canadian Malnutrition Task Force, malnutrition is a pathological state caused by the inadequate intake of energy, protein and/or nutrients that affects body composition, functional ability and overall health.

Many Canadians believe malnourishment only occurs in Third World countries but close to 46 per cent of patients in Canadian hospitals are at risk of malnutrition and the numbers are even higher in long-term care. In 2021, close to 16 per cent of the Canadian population lived with food insecurity or inadequate supplies of food — and this number has likely risen given the dramatic increases in food costs.

The causes of malnutrition are multi-factorial and are not just related to the price of food. In hospitals and personal care homes, patients are often admitted with poor nutritional status and significant weight loss. In large part, this is because of diseases or conditions such as COPD, advanced dementia, cardiac issues, cancer, neurological disorders like Parkinson’s disease, depression, mental illness, swallowing disorders and even poor dentition.

Social isolation is another contributing factor. Seniors and those with disabilities who live alone may not always be motivated to eat regular meals. Some may not be able to prepare meals or have the financial means or social support to help with this task. For some, grocery shopping can be difficult, if mobility is an issue.

A quick trip around the horn

Despite it taking its own sweet time and sharing the odd sprinkle of snow, spring has arrived. The signs are now everywhere.

The Jets are hopefully about to go on a long playoff run and I look forward to seeing the Goldeyes’ new scoreboard in action. Opening day at Blue Cross Park is May 21 (although the team will begin its season on the road on May 9) and ,in the Goldeyes honour, I used a baseball metaphor in the title of this story.

Of course, there are a lot of other activities about to explode into action, including the city’s other sports teams, and festival season is just around the corner.

I have been personally involved with some events noted here:

Enjoying the finer things

While the tradition of ‘high tea’ dates to Victorian-era England, the idea has expanded beyond British borders and has become increasingly popular around the world. Pinkies pointing to the right while holding a classic bone China teacup, sipping a pekoe and enjoying a sweet treat are the basis of this novelty mid-afternoon delight.

Were you aware high tea also has a French connection in Winnipeg?

Dawn Pilcher, manager of the Norwood Hotel, explained the concept of the hotel’s Sunday afternoon high tea, held weekly at 3:30 p.m. in Pauline Bistro, the hotel’s Parisian-style restaurant.

“Pauline Boutal was the St. Boniface graphic artist who created the Eaton’s catalogue designs which are showcased on the walls of the bistro,” Pilcher said, explaining the origin of the restaurant’s name and its 1920s European flair.

It’s backyard birding season

Can you smell it? There is definitely something in the air. The sights, sounds and even the smells have changed and in my book that is called spring, unless of course Mother Nature is playing an extended cruel April’s Fool’s joke on us. Let’s hope that is not the case.

One of the most exciting aspects of spring is the return of the birds. Whether they just stop in for a brief visit or they opt for an extended stay, there are plenty to observe, listen to and explore.

Many would say that the return of the Canada geese is one of the earliest signs of spring and I would generally agree but there are plenty of other species as well including:

• The dark-eyed juncos, with their distinctive songs that sound like a thread of fast-paced chipping sounds. They stop in here for a week or two before continuing their journey to their summer territory.

Learn to sew at Lilax Studio

If making your own clothes or learning how to correctly hem a pair of pants are skills you want to either gain or brush up on, a new studio has opened up that offers sewing classes for all levels.

“People have a new awareness about the importance of doing things for themselves — be it cooking, baking, home renos or sewing,” said Beth Syrnyk, sole proprietor of Lilax Studios. “For quite some time people have asked me where they can learn sewing, so I decided share my over 30 years of industry experience and open a place where people can meet, learn and sew.”

Lilax Studio is located at 759 Pembina Hwy., at the corner of Stafford Street and Pembina Highway, and offers sewing classes and workshops for all levels of sewists.

“There is a fully equipped sewing studio, including sewing machines, a cutting table, iron and ironing board and all the tools a sewist needs to create,” Syrnyk said.