The Assiniboia community committee of Winnipeg city council met on April 5.

The short, curt meeting saw approvals for several ongoing plans in the western outskirts of the city.

Plans for a new development in the Fairfield Park neighbourhood were approved. If completed, the new six-storey apartment building, located at 1365 Lee Blvd., will contain approximately 167 units. It will also provide both indoor and outdoor parking — including spots for bikes — and be accessible to vehicles and pedestrians from Waverley Street. Up to the April 5 meeting, the plans had been awaiting approval due to the only accessibility points being private property, but the issue has since been resolved.

The development was met with optimism by the councillors present, as it will continue to increase the population and residential density of the steadily growing Waverley West community.

The warmer weather is a clear reminder that the Manitoba Premier Softball League regular season is just around the corner, according to a release from the Central Energy softball club.

League play begins the first weekend in May, and Central Energy AAA teams won’t need a reminder, as they began preparing for this season back in mid-September, with tryouts for the 2024 season. Since then, teams have been busy practising throughout the winter, getting into full swing after spring break.

All three age-group teams have representation from all around the central region.

• The U13 team finished in third place with a 16-8 record in the 2023 regular season, winning a bronze medal at the provincial tournament in Friedensfeld.

Jane’s Walk returns to Winnipeg May 3–5

Jane’s Walk Winnipeg will take place across the city from May 3 to 5, and the organization is looking for volunteers.

The annual festival featuring free, citizen-led walking conversations was inspired by renowned urbanist and activist Jane Jacobs. According to organizers, Jane’s Walk festivals “take place in hundreds of cities around the world to encourage people’s exploration of their cities, to share stories about their neighbourhoods, and discover unseen aspects of their communities.”

Jane’s Walk Winnipeg is hosted by the Winnipeg Arts Council in a citizen-led, volunteer capacity. Topics of the walks can include historical landmarks, hidden gems, public art, local lore, influential figures, and grassroots initiatives, while walks themselves typically run between 45 minutes and two hours.

All Saints Ukrainian Orthodox bake sale set for April 20

The All Saints Ukrainian Orthodox Church (1500 Day St.) is hosting a second annual bake sale on Saturday, April 20.

Assorted pies, perogies, cabbage rolls, paska, babka, cookies, soups, and perishky will be available, as well as decorative flower arrangements. The canteen will also be open.

Last year’s sale raised over $12,000 for Ukrainian immigrants, repairs and maintenance to the church and hall, and the Transcona Food Bank Taxi program.

Champlain CC to hold cleanup event April 20

Community members are invited to come out and lend a helping hand at Champlain Community Centre’s upcoming community spring cleanup.

According to the centre’s website, the event will be held on Saturday, April 20 at 1 p.m. (the rain date is April 21).

Prospective participants are asked to meet at the centre’s front entrance at 282 Niverville Ave., and bring a pair of work gloves. The centre will provide garbage bags and grabber tools.

Welcome to the month of April — a truly great month, as we welcome spring and the renewal that is offered to us.

April is also a time to celebrate Sikh Heritage Month, Sexual Assault Awareness Month, World Autism Month, National Oral Health Month and Genocide Remembrance Condemnation and Prevention Month. We also celebrate specific events in April, such as Easter Monday on April 1, the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Air Force (also April 1), Manitoba Tartan Day (April 6) and Eid al-Fitr, the end of Ramadan. Many events are planned to celebrate these special occasions in Manitoba, and you will see many of our Progressive Conservative MLAs in attendance celebrating with their constituents.

On March 21, I was pleased to honour two brothers from the constituency of Red River North with a private member’s statement in the Manitoba legislature. Alexander and Samuel Angus began their lacrosse journey when introduced to the sport by a friend at a young age and have been playing ever since. The Angus brothers now play for the Winnipeg Blizzard lacrosse team and compete across Western Canada. They competed for Canada in the 2024 international indoor junior lacrosse Commonwealth Cup held in Melbourne Australia in Marc, where Alexander scored 14 goals. The Angus brothers also participate in clinics for children wanting to develop their skills here in Manitoba. They love to participate in these camps and to engage more people in the game by teaching young people about lacrosse. I congratulated them for their tremendous accomplishments not only in Australia but right here at home.

Back in the house, the PCs, as the official Opposition, introduced Bill 211 on April 8 to support Manitoba Parks. Riding Mountain MLA Greg Nesbitt introduced this bill to establish speciality Manitoba Parks licence plates, allowing Manitobans to show their love for provincial parks while helping to revitalize the natural spaces they treasure most.