Lifestyles 55 2025 December Digital

A protective detention centre – only the first step in saving lives

Sel Burrows

The government must look at charging the dealers who sell fatal doses with manslaughter, an action recommended by Indigenous leaders and the Manitoba Business Council.

The Manitoba Government has introduced new legislation to expand the powers of police to hold people, whose meth-induced psychosis puts themselves and others in danger, for up to 72 hours. We see it nearly every day in the inner city. People staggering into dangerous traffic, getting into altercations with other passersby in the street, and passed out on the curb.

Last year, Manitoba saw 570 people die of overdose. Unfortunately, that’s become a new reality for our province. Over the past five years, the yearly total of people who have died from overdose has been steadily increasing.

If people are murdered, we know their name – and quite often we know the name of the person who's

The importance of traditions in December

Trudy Schroeder

December is a month that can easily become a blur of responsibilities and excesses of every type. However, it is entirely possible to have a different kind of December steeped in intentional experiences and gatherings with people for whom you have genuine affection and caring. At the beginning of December, while it is still possible to shape the activities and intensity of the month, it is valuable to spend time with a calendar and map out the flow of activities and responsibilities that will fill the coming days and weeks.

Romel Dhalla

There is a massive public delusion unfolding throughout the Western world. Not everyone believes it, and perhaps not even most people do, but a sizeable number certainly do, including many who help shape public policy. Ever since scientists declared that global warming is an existential threat to civilization, governments and industries have been

locked in endless policy battles that have done little more than generate headlines. Climate targets are not being met, not in Canada, not in Europe, and definitely not on a

global scale. Meanwhile, ordinary people across Western democracies are noticeably poorer than they were just a decade ago.

A chain reaction brought us to this point. The 2008 financial crisis forced the public to bail out major corporations and wealthy investors, turning private-sector losses into public debt at levels never before seen. This required historically low interest rates for years. That situation created the perfect opportunity for what Rahm Emanuel famously 6 ‘Fossil fuels' u

Personally, I really like a large paper calendar or agenda book for this exercise that allows for a view of the whole month rather than a day at a time. While we all have a regular series of activities and duties that can completely fill our weeks and months, in December it can be delightful to organize life in different patterns inspired by different goals. I find it helpful to structure December based on the 5W approach to planning.

Who: Who are the people you absolutely want to make sure to spend time within the coming month? Make a list of those people and start your month planning by listing those people and create your schedule for the month around your most

8 ‘December' u

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ISSUES IN THE NEWS

It seems that every day, there is a heartbreaking story of a crime where someone loses their life, or their property is stolen or destroyed by criminals who have been arrested. They have often been convicted multiple times and released on “bail” immediately thereafter, only to go out and commit another crime.

Why do I highlight “bail”? It is because it is very rare that actual bail money is put down to guarantee court appearances. Instead, the arrested person may be released on a surety, where someone else guarantees their attendance in court or their hearing. But in most cases today, offenders are released without even that.

According to CBC, Winnipeg’s Mayor Scott Gillingham told a committee in Ottawa recently that “Winnipeg recorded 5,561 crimes related to breaches of release conditions last year – a nine per cent increase from 2023 – and the upward trend has continued through 2025.”

The story went on to say that four out of five people arrested by a joint RCMP-Winnipeg Police task force are currently free on “bail” and at least one out of five had been arrested more than once. Nor do ankle monitors work. Nearly half of those arrested and sentenced to wear a monitoring device were ignoring the rules or not even wearing the device when rearrested.

ment which must be adhered to.

Compounding the complications of this is that no matter how carefully written, all statutes are limited by language, not to mention the interpretation of what is meant by certain language.

Therein lies the problem with all laws, treaties and agreements of any kind. Any statement is subject to some sort of interpretation. There is nothing less precise than language, and it is even more so when it is translated from one tongue to anther as in Canada where we deal in both English and French, and now, more and more often by a polyglot of Indigenous languages and dialects.

A recent signal of permissiveness towards crime is that of the two men convicted of having and sharing child pornography. One had 317 images of child pornography showing three- to six-year-old girls “being subjected to acts of penetration and sodomy.” The supreme Court has just struck down the minimum one-year mandatory jail sentence attached to this offence on the basis of “reasonably foreseeable scenarios” where they imagined an 18-year-old sending an “explicit” text to his 17-year-old girlfriend.

The court deemed that this scenario represented why mandatory minimum sentences are “unconstitutional” and remove discretion from the judges.

It is not surprising that it has come to this. For almost 150 years, there have been two types of law here in Canada. Common law, established and practiced by the British, is the law of the land in all but Quebec where codified or civil law, practiced by the French and rooted in Rome, is the law. When a law is passed in Canada, the drafters have to consider both facts.

While the two approaches work side by side, civil law has always influenced Canadian law beginning with the British North America Act of 1867. Its influence undoubtedly led to the codification of the Diefenbaker’s 1960 Bill of Right as the Charter of Rights and Freedoms into the Constitution in 1982. The Notwithstanding clause was championed by common law provincial advocates to provide room for precedence and judgement, especially by provinces.

Common law is more ponderous to apply. It is based on history and practice, subtly modified by current thought. Civil law, on the other hand, refers judges to a single docu-

This is illustrated by the interpretation of Canadian treaties with First nations, where the words were laden with symbolic language for the Indigenous persons agreeing to them, but not so their treaty partners who based their interpretations on the common practice and precedence. I had that conversation with a Treaty friend some time ago and his contention was that the “settlers had lied”, when it is more likely that they each had a different understanding of what the language meant.

Such misunderstandings can have wide consequences. During the constitutional wars in Canada of the 90s, much emotional consternation was created by the word “demandez” meaning the mild “to ask” in French and the harsh “demand” in English.

So, the courts have not lost their minds – they are simply responding to the facts as presented. However, a parliamentary committee might be in order to examine the conflict and recommend modifications bearing in mind what is happening today. Clearly, mandatory sentencing does not work, nor upon reflection, should it. But that does not prevent Legislators from recommending sentence terms.

More importantly, though, is the need to take a hard look at the entire judicial system. We are told that one reason for early release has to do with an overburdened system – not enough judges, not enough prison room, not enough police officers. If this is true, why is it true?

One pressure point is the reliance on police and prisons to deal with mental health offenders, some of this due to drug addiction. So far, no adequate answer has been found to replace what is happening now. Should treatment be mandatory? Would that be struck down by the Supreme Court as being in contravention of the Charter?

It is hard to get lawmakers to look inward in this day of focus on external trade relations. But we must search for and find renewal in the way we present law and order in Canada.

NOTE: You may notice the wider variety of voices in the paper over the past few months. That is because, like Marianne Cerilli, I too have a problem with all the shouting, naming and blaming that currently passes for dialogue. All voices are deserving of being heard, even in a self-confessed conservative paper such as this. – Dorothy

The 2025 federal budget

Ibelieve this budget is headed towards a very expensive failure for which we will all be paying for many years to come and with little to show for it. My ultimate concern is illustrated by one provision in the document itself: the cancellation of the two billion tree planting project introduced by former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

It is ironic that the program was introduced in 2020 at a time when Mark Carney was between jobs and came to work as a “informal advisor” to Trudeau. (Was it actually his idea?) The plan was to plant two billion trees over a 10-year period at a cost of $3.2 billion. Five years into the program, we have planted just over a quarter of the total for 228 million trees at a cost of $267 million, however, the Parliamentary Budget Officer has projected that planting all two billion would cost over $6 billion, almost twice the original budget.

Carney has since cancelled the project saying that the original figure was just “aspirational”, never a true target. That grabbed me. It describes the rest of the budget to a very large degree.

Look, the budget is long on “aspirational” motivation and short on detail. In fact, there are still $17.5 billion worth of unnamed cuts to be announced – something that may never be achieved. The planned drastic reductions to our bloated public service will be cut just 10% over five years – just 2% a year on average – and consultants are to be cut 20% but new ones keep being added.

As for foreign investment, yes, right now that would be welcome, but we need to own our country. There is nothing I can find in the budget that focuses on that. Any planned handouts will likely go to foreign owned entities – most often US companies with Canadian subsidiaries or even just as branch operations. There is much more that could be said about this in terms of how to do this effectively, but since the focus is on external trade, let’s just look at that more closely.

Much of the spending is about overhauling government. “modernizing”, “recalibrating”, “streamlining” it to generate more work by AI, a very long term process and one that is fraught with uncertainty as this new technology is still filled with flaws, not to mention the massive amounts of energy that will have to be dedicated to the task at the same time as the government is asking people to change their ways of life and adopt EVs (just one example).

Then there is the serious focus on government investment where business should be stepping in. We all know from long experience, not to mention the anecdote about tree planting, that governments are notoriously inefficient when it comes to actually producing results. Nor is corporate welfare any better at problem solving than other types of welfare. It is a false premise that it “catalyzes” more investment. Of course, business will take tax dollars and welcome tax incentives, but the proposition has to make sense in the first place and rigid laws and regulations stifles initiative and productivity.

Carney budgets for growth

IDobbie vs

Dobbie

Currently the Prime minister is on a global jaunt to “drum up new business”. Makes for lovely photo opps and fuzzy feelings: two leaders sign an MOU to do more together and . . . then what? There is a whole complicated mechanism to do the follow up at a much lower level that can take years and often results in nothing. It is a great public relations gesture, but when you are spreading the butter so thinly, the result may ultimately be unpalatable.

Canada by the way, has a long history of this: big dog and pony show followed by very little.

Much hope was placed on the idea of getting resources to market. It seemed that there would be immediate results with the opening of the other special projects office in Edmonton, and then . . . we learn, several weeks later, that it has no teeth. All “recommendations” go back to the PMO as is basically mandated in Bill C5, passed last spring.

We should not be surprised at this. Mr. Carney expressed his belief in centralization of power in his book Values. A quick recap of his philosophy is this: “he advocates for strong governance and leadership to prioritize societal values over market fundamentalism. He proposes a "new kind of capitalism" and government-led strategic direction through regulations to align market activities with essential values.”

The analysis goes on to counter this with “some critics interpret his approach as a top-down control that could limit freedom and autonomy.” Yep. That’s what I would call it too. And that is the underlying flavour of the budget.

This is not a benign move by an intelligent, experienced businessman. It is document that caters to his own view of the world and who should be governing it. And that is not humble folk like you and me.

magine you were in charge of the national budget. Some expenses are fixed and unavoidable. That part is easy. The hard part is everything else: the hundreds of competing demands from every sector, region and special interest group, whose priority simply can’t wait. In fact, a lot of them are compelling, but you know every dollar you add could tip your minority government into defeat. (The NDP doesn’t even have a leader right now, so they don’t want an election, but the risk is still there.) And in the middle of all this noise you have to decide what could actually grow the economy rather than just feeding a long list of politically comfortable promises.

If you’re thinking clearly, you don’t plan expensive give-away schemes like the Canadian Dental Care Plan or the Early Learning and Child Care Plan. Those may be popular, and they certainly kept Trudeau’s Liberals afloat for a while, but they won’t generate income for the country or build long-term strength. Instead, you look for the areas where spending now pays off later: capital projects and national defence. These are two areas where Canada has fallen badly behind over the last couple of decades. For once, we have a prime minister who is prepared to focus the country’s effort and our money on the foundations of long-term growth.

out a large, multi-year plan for upgrading the systems that make communities functional: roads, water and sewer mains, treatment plants and other things that are required before any new housing can be built. It also covers modern transit, safer bridges and projects aimed at climate resilience, including wildfire protection and flood mitigation. Carney’s capital spending does more than create jobs in the moment. It shapes the country for decades, because without strong infrastructure nothing else – not housing, not economic growth, not climate preparation – can take hold. Put it all together and these choices point to something more important than another round of government spending: they point toward real jobs, the kind that build a country and support families over the long term. Capital projects do more than pour concrete and lay pipe; they create thousands of stable, skilled positions in construction, engineering, trades, transportation, energy, and technology. Defence investment does the same, opening careers in cyber security, aerospace, logistics, mechanical trades, manufacturing and the growing critical-minerals sector. These are high-quality jobs with wages that can support a mortgage and a family.

As I wrote a couple of months ago, our defence forces are in terrible shape. Decades of underinvestment have left the Canadian Armed Forces struggling to recruit, retain and equip its members. The budget makes a start on this, with several billion dollars in new funding over the next five years and a long-term plan that ramps up total defence spending over two decades. The short-term allocations focus on stabilising personnel levels, modernising key equipment and improving readiness, although the money will not solve the recruiting problem on its own. After years of delay, it seems like a shift toward rebuilding the system instead applying a bunch of bandaids.

On housing, the budget puts substantial new money into building more affordable homes. Much of this funding flows through federal programs that support non-profit, co-operative and municipal housing providers, who can deliver the kinds of deeply affordable and supportive units that private developers rarely build on their own. CMHC has stated that Canada faces a shortage of 3.5 million homes by 2030. Traditional homebuilders, charging market rates for their product, won’t close that gap quickly enough. By strengthening the non-market side of the system, the government is finally targeting the part of the crisis the private sector cannot fix by itself. If this initiative works out, it will begin to narrow a shortage that has been growing for years.

Infrastructure investment is the other major pillar. The budget sets

And these are exactly the kinds of jobs we want young people to have. They are practical, portable careers that cannot be outsourced to a cheaper market. You can’t repair water mains from abroad, and you can’t build a transmission line or maintain an armoured vehicle over Zoom. As Canada tries to rebuild its housing stock, modernise its power grid and restore its military capability, demand for skilled tradespeople and technical specialists is only going up. Young Canadians who choose these paths now will be walking into a decadeslong wave of demand.

This all sounds grand, but will it actually happen? I have hope, and my hope is based on a few things. First, he has started a new Defence Investment Agency to make sure procurement is coordinated, efficient and actually delivers results. Second, he has started a Major Projects Office – he’s already hired the CEO – to coordinate the actual building of everything in his capital infrastructure budget. And third, I think he brings a new attitude to the government that includes the expectation to get things done.

All new governments start out bright-eyed with new agendas; the media calls it the honeymoon phase. A new prime minister can usually get one big thing done. Chrétien had a deficit-cutting agenda, Harper moved forward the Accountability Act, Trudeau legalized cannabis. As time in office draws on, it becomes harder to make things happen. Carney has chosen a huge first project with his focus on capital investment and defense rebuilding.

The clock has started ticking and Carney needs to prove fairly quickly that his plans will work. The NDP elects a new leader at the end of March. Let’s hope the Prime Minister has shown his value by then.

Dialogue for Democracy

My past few columns have been an introduction to the Politics of Unity, a theme of my work that brings conflict resolution to power and politics with an emphasis on understanding the impacts of trauma in politics. I have focused mostly on politics as 3Ps; policy, process or procedures and power dynamics with a focus on Power Styles. This column will focus a bit more on the principle of moving from debate to dialogue.

There is a lot of concern among the public and voting citizens that politics has become more partisan, more polarized, uncivil and less democratic. Meaning less about gathering good ideas to address challenges and more about division, framing opponents as bad and wrong, finding individuals and groups to blame and then heap on the shame. We think that debate is democratic, and it certainly is more democratic than having no say at all, but debate so often leads away from addressing the problem and more focused on attacking the person not the policy or the proposal.

biases and faulty ways of seeing reality that keep debate at the level of verbal and psychological warfare not productive solution finding. Here is a taste.

Ad Hominem is the term to describe attacking the person rather than their argument. The underlying biases are fundamental attribution error, halo effect or horn effect. Some examples of this include President Trump just saying to a female reporter, “Quiet piggy”. The media story became the insult not the issue. Ad hominem can be less obnoxious but also insulting, “Of course you’d say that - - you’re young and inexperienced.”

Debate often relies on tactics based on cognitive biases and thought distortions. Here are a few of these tactics or mind games that drive wedges and turn people off politics. Some of these tactics are about distorting evidence, attacking people instead of issues, overconfidence and rigid thinking, manipulating emotions, polarizing groups and shutting down dialogue, and even discouraging critical thinking and questioning authority to derail or distract from the issues.

I am creating tools and games to learn about these

Are you living

As a small girl, when on vacation at my grandmother’s country place in Poland, I would go outside her property, lie down on the grass next to the fields of grain and observe the sky. I watched how the white fluffy clouds, carried by the wind, were drifting from the West. In those moments, I always wondered what is out there, how the world far West looks like, what the people who live there do, how they live, what they wear, what they eat, how they look?!

It seems I was born with this curiosity. My 93-yearold mother tells me now, she remembers that ever since I was a young girl or four or five, I would point out to the horizon and repeatedly ask the same question “What’s out there?!”.

A good way to respond is to refocus on the argument for example, “Let’s examine the evidence rather than the speaker.” Or acknowledge or name the bias, “Experience varies; facts matter more than age.”

The other biases mentioned are also important to unpack, fundamental attribution error is assuming others’ behavior is due to character, not circumstance, for example: “They’re late because they’re irresponsible,” vs. “due to traffic delays”. This is often combined with explaining your own problematic behavior due to external factors. We tend to assume and see the good side of people we support and are loyal to, while seeing the negative side of people we don’t like, in the halo effect. And one positive trait is conflated to overall goodness or in the horn effect, devilish assumptions are made to characterize the person we oppose.

In healthy relationships when we have disagreements, we avoid doing these and other things like the good old straw man tactic, where we misrepresent someone’s argument to make it easier to attack. For

your dream or...?!

ily with such dreams.

Life has a special way to answer our questions and grant us our wishes. 20 years later, for the first time in my life, I found myself boarding a plane with my five-year-old son to fly to our new home. We were following my husband, who immigrated to Canada just a year and a half earlier. If you knew the political climate of the Socialist Poland of the early and mid eighties, you would know how miraculous it was for us to obtain the permit and the passports to cross the borders. And yet against all the odds, we were boarding our first plane ever. The flight across the ocean was to be followed by two domestic flights all the way to the city of Winnipeg, our final destination.

This wonder “what’s out there” and “what’s beyond the horizon” intensified in my early teenage years to the point that I began to wonder how it would be to live abroad in another country. I started dreaming of moving outside my homeland Poland. As far as I knew at that time, I was the only one in my fam-

Jobs for the Homeless helping other Homeless

Hello Dorothy,

Following up on an email conversation we had earlier this fall, I just had an interesting conversation with some of the staff at Siloam Mission.

It seems like Siloam is in the process of getting ready to create an in-house bakery business as a social enterprise using the original drop-in centre/dining hall on Princess Street.

The plan at this point is Siloam would

My early childhood dreams were becoming reality.

I remember the incredible feeling of adventure and freedom, oddly mixed with the feeling of intense trepidation of stepping into the ultimate unknown. Once in the air, it felt as if we were flying to the moon. Just imagine, I was leaving behind

example, “You want bike lanes? You must hate drivers.” This is challenging to respond to as it requires us to clarify our intent while validating the concerns others have about driving with bike lanes.

In politics, loyalty is like currency. It is mined and traded, then expected. This leads to and is supported by cognitive dissonance, or our discomfort from conflicting beliefs, which leads to denial or rationalization. For example, a person ignores evidence that their political party or political leader acted unethically. This is difficult to deal with, as inviting value-based reflection on the issue may first require lowering the threat of “breaking ranks” by assuring the person choosing denial that they are not alone, and to see that many people find the action problematic.

There are only a few of the over 150 thought distortions, biases and fallacies that get used in public discourse and even intimate conversation that prevents dialogue and understanding. They are used to achieve dominance, to frame others in a way that makes them look bad and wrong. Concern about the erosion of civility, honesty and action on issues requires us to understand and address these tactics effectively. The polarization in politics and the hyper-partisanship can be seen as tactics to ensure the status quo is protected. I would go as far as to say some of the outrageous comments being made and extreme autocratic actions are because the evidence for positive change is so strong. More dialogue and less of these debate tactics is needed for democracy, and democracy is necessary for change.

For more tools visit mariannecerilli.ca

Marianne is an educator and former MLA who works at the intersection of learning, community development and politics.

my entire world! Would you do it?

At that time, being young and in my mid-twenties, I had no idea of the magnitude of that decision.

A month later, I found myself standing at the curb of a Winnipeg street, in -40 C below, gusting winds, blowing snow, shivering and waiting for a taxi which was about to take me to the sewing factory for my night shift, asking myself “How did I get here?” Just a few weeks earlier, I worked in the biggest rehabilitation centre of my homeland Poland, wore a white uniform. Almost every day I carried flowers and chocolates home from work, gifted to me by my patients, a clear indication of work well done and a testimonial to my passion and dedication to the wellbeing of people in my care. I had a very fulfilling career as a physiotherapist and a relatively happy life surrounded by loving friends and family. Why then, one would ask, why the idea of leaving it all behind?

Honestly, I have no answer. I often wonder where that inquisitiveness, inner drive, unstoppable pull came from? Perhaps it was my destiny.

Totally unprepared and somewhat sweetly naive, I started my new Canadian life.

To say that the coming days, months and years were proving to be very chal-

LETTERS

hire community members that are currently homeless and train them to be bakery staff. Which means the “Siloam Bakery Co.” would provide a pathway into paid employment for Winnipeggers who are struggling. If the big grocery stores then wanted to hire Siloam bakers after they have proven themselves, I imagine Siloam wouldn’t object. For context it sounds like a major impetus for this decision is that one of Siloam’s previous corporate donors is no longer donating bread in bulk, and Siloam is currently using about 200 loaves of bread a day to feed people that come to Siloam Mission looking for meals. I find it refreshing to see that instead of begging government for help

or complaining that a company stopped donating, Siloam is taking a positive approach to build its own solution, while also trying to figure out how to help get people out of poverty/homelessness instead of just perpetuating a cycle of dependency.

That being said, it sounds like Siloam needs around $500,000 to get the bakery initiative set up. I’m fairly confident that Siloam’s existing donor community will happily step up to fund this solution when Siloam has the numbers firmed up.

Anyway, I figured this might be worth bringing up for a future article. Especially as we get closer to the Christmas season, I imagine a lot of Winnipeggers

lenging is simply an understatement. To start a new life in a foreign land without speaking the language is not an easy feat, but turning back was not an option. With all the challenges that my new life presented to me there were equally many graces. With the help of good Canadians, one-and-a-half years later, I found myself back at the bedside of a patient. I was hired to work at St. Boniface Hospital, a job that countless people told me earlier was impossible to come by. Amongst other places, I found myself working in the psychiatric unit of that hospital. The impossible was becoming possible! As long as I followed my heart, Life was presenting to me opportunities in almost miraculous ways.

The path was not straight. There were twists and turns, all eventually leading me to the right places.

Inquisitive and frightened I was stepping through the opening doors and had no idea that there were many more yet to come.

It felt as if I was living by the motto “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing”

To be continued...

Zofia Dove is an international keynote speaker, author and producer, host and director of series “Discovering Beauty Everywhere”.

would appreciate hearing about an organization/project that seeks to actually address part of the homelessness crisis, as opposed to just handing out sandwiches and tents down by the river.

Regards, Thomas Rempel-Ong

Ed. That sounds like a very good idea, Thomas, and please let Siloam Mission know that we would gladly accept a submission on the project. I hope other wellmeaning helpers of the homeless could think on this and how they, too, might help folks get back on the path to self-sustenance where lives the dignity and hope that all folks need, not just to survive but to thrive in a life of fulfillment. – Dorothy

Marty Morantz was a wonderful MP

Dorothy Dobbie

Icame to know Marty Morantz when he was embroiled in a controversy as a city councilor over a bureaucratic plan to reroute Wilkes Avenue and with it the new homes and semi-rural properties of a number of his constituents.

I decided to look into things for myself and write a piece on him for Lifestyles 55. Typical of our humble Marty, he was kind enough to come to my office for the interview and in short order, I discovered the essence of a man I soon came to admire and respect.

He blamed no one for the shambles of this plan, let alone its authors.

Here is what I wrote after meeting him:

When people think of politicians, they often get an image of a smiling, blustering, smooth talking individual. When they look at Marty Morantz, they see an unassuming, self-effacing man with a shy smile who keeps on keeping on, no matter what the odds.

In his heart, in his gut, he knows he has a mission, and he is determined to pursue it until the end. It is hard to describe a better candidate for any office – a person consumed by the knowledge that he has something to offer for the greater good.

Nor does he have anything negative to say about those who tormented him over the South Wilkes controversy. He tries to explain their side of the issue rather than brag about his own. But he does have something to brag about. In spite of the unfounded accusa-

u called “never let a serious crisis go to waste.” Cheap, long-term debt suddenly made it possible for the Obama administration to pursue what were, at the time, ambitious climate and social goals.

tions and rough treatment he received at the hands of the South Wilkes Association, Marty acknowledges their concerns. But a check of the record shows that he is the one who called for an audit to support the truth he told about the information flow. That’s just who he is.

When Marty won the nomination for what is now the Winnipeg West Riding, he quickly embraced his rival, Stephen Barber, who is now the national president of the Conservative Party of Canada! We grow good people in our part of this city! And when Marty was campaigning for the first time in 2019 there were frequent debates and town halls. He was always gracious to his rival, our current MP, Doug Eylofson, who was the incumbent MP at the time. We joked with Marty that he spent as much time talking to Doug as he did to his own supporters.

His colleague, Melissa Lantsman, had this to say when his tenure was celebrat-

Eco-Activists

ed this past month by his friends and supporters at a special tribute event.

“Congratulations to Marty – loyal friend, relentless advocate, and 50% of our Jewish caucus. Marty, you’ve earned a surplus of respect and zero deficits in character.

“More importantly, Marty brought the same quiet determination to Parliament that he did to every part of his life: a commitment to doing the right thing, even when it wasn’t the easy thing. Marty’s voice in caucus was calm when it needed to be, strong when it counted, and wise when it mattered most. He leaves behind not just a record of service, but a legacy of integrity and decency in a business that doesn’t always reward either.”

“I salute you for years of service, good humour, and the occasional dad joke. This place sucks more without you, not just as an MP but a good friend. Think I’ll miss his wife Lisa, who put up with

all of this, just as much. Wishing you, Marty, all the best. Continue to keep everyone else on the fiscal straight and narrow.”

Melissa had no idea what I had written so many years before, which is testament to the truth of what was being said.

Pierre Poilievre went one better. The Tory leader sent a video to be played at his tribute event during which he told of their first meeting. Marty, being as earnest as always, asked Pierre a what he thought about the government program, ICIP (Investing in Canada Plan).

“I don’t know,” said Pierre, “I sip Crown Royal. What to do you sip?” They had a hearty laugh which cemented their friendship forever and, the next day, Pierre received a package – a bottle of Crown Royal.

Pierre relied on Marty’s wise and honest financial counsel to his benefit, and they each appreciated the quirky sense of humour they shared.

That is our Marty Morantz. Elected twice, in 2019 and again in 2021, he served us well through a tough time of COVID and other trials.

He spoke truth to power in his quiet unassuming voice, always willing to tell the leader his thoughts and add a quiet word of advice. I know his counsel will be missed.

I was very honoured to serve as Marty’s EDA president for the past three years. I believe I speak for all his supporters in Winnipeg West: “Thank you, Marty. Thank you.”

must face the truth: humanity needs fossil fuels

Continued from page 1

Obama spent tens of billions of dollars on climate initiatives while warning that catastrophe was around the corner. He was undeniably charming and charismatic, but he was also one of the worst presidents in modern American history for GDP growth. His misguided policies that constrained oil and gas production, limited exploration, and shut down coal plants put upward pressure on energy prices. Those decisions helped create the early spark that eventually contributed to the price inflation inferno we see today.

Calculate the true cost of producing these technologies from raw materials and you begin to see the problem. This is not just a matter of practicality; this is a huge financial opportunity. Obama’s environmental policies helped create an entirely new industry. Banks profited from financing government-subsidized projects. Political friends benefitted. Corrupt officials in developing countries siphoned carbon-reduction funds straight into their own pockets. Everyone knows this, but the cycle marches on, and people still believe they are saving the planet when what they are really doing is accumulating public debt, widening the income gap, and lowering living standards.

are why we cannot abandon fossil fuels anytime soon. Not in ten years, and possibly not in fifty.

Fossil fuels remain essential for human civilization. Humans get energy from food, and food ultimately gets its energy from the sun, but industrial farming relies heavily on fossil fuels at every stage. The simple act of buying a tomato at the supermarket involves a supply chain powered by vast amounts of energy. Transportation also depends on it. Before the steam engine, humanity relied on watercraft and animals. Once steam and later combustion engines appeared, goods and people could travel across continents and oceans, and this is now the backbone of our modern economy. Also, with advances in rocket technology, we may soon see more people becoming astronauts, like former Prime Minister Trudeau’s new girlfriend Katy Perry. But rocket fuel also comes from fossil fuels.

Public fear of nuclear is surprising, but reality may force a shift sooner than people expect. Even then, nuclear cannot replace all fossil fuel demand until we invent compact nuclear units so we can fly around like the Jetsons. Until then, cars will run on gas and rockets on kerosene.

Which brings us to the present. The art-defacing protests and the traffic blockades are childish, and scaring children into thinking the world is ending is massively contributing to their anxiety. Activists need to face the truth. Society cannot separate from fossil fuels, and people will not volunteer to make themselves poorer. Billions have been spent, but the Earth just keeps getting warmer. Climate activists are well intentioned, but good intentions do not change facts.

Despite the lack of progress, the climate movement hardened into a kind of global creed. Leaders around the world, enamoured with Obama’s message and persona, adopted similar policies without seriously questioning their effectiveness. As we now know, none of this reversed global warming. Some will respond by saying that OPEC, China, and India kept burning coal, and they would be right, but the problem runs deeper.

Consider the solutions that were sold to us. Start with wind and solar. These technologies require enormous amounts of mining, metallurgy, highly processed silica, petroleum products, transportation, and industrial assembly. They depend on heavy energy inputs, often generated by coal in developing nations. They scar landscapes, disrupt wildlife, and do not last as long as promised. They also require constant maintenance. Because sunlight and wind are inconsistent, these systems need massive battery storage, which adds yet another layer of intense resource extraction.

Everyone in their right mind wants a livable planet (then again, there are plenty of people these days who do not appear to be in their right minds and seem intent on tearing society apart, but that is for another article). Yet the greatest failure of the climate agenda, aside from failing to stop warming, is that climate change barely registers as a top issue for most people anymore. They have lost significant clout in politics.

The rise of Trump signalled this shift. Today, inflation, prices, and income inequality dominate public concern. People react to whatever affects their daily lives. This is basic human behaviour. We are, by nature, self-interested. I do not admire that trait, but I also cannot pretend it is not real.

What makes it worse is that the loudest voices in the climate movement often behave in the most contradictory ways. They fly to global conferences even though virtual meeting technology exists. It is absurd. Climate will always take a back seat to personal finances, especially when it comes to food and energy. These realities

I admire Elon Musk for many reasons, but his predictions, much like those of the climate movement, have repeatedly missed the mark. Electric vehicles are nowhere close to replacing internal combustion. We do not have the raw materials to build batteries at global scale. We also lack the power grid required to charge them. Building that within twenty years is unrealistic, even with massive public and private spending, which we simply do not have.

Then there is productivity. Industrial data centres that power Amazon deliveries, cloud computing, and streaming services are energy monsters. They exist because people want convenience, entertainment, and AI is all the rage. But this lifestyle cannot exist without massive energy inputs. There is no turning back, and wind and solar cannot support it.

Nuclear energy is the best large-scale alternative we have. It produces steady, inexpensive power and is the only viable contender for replacing a meaningful portion of fossil fuels. It comes with environmental costs, but so does everything else.

If they want to be genuinely helpful, they should focus on advocating for two things. First, supporting major research into technologies that could actually reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Second, pushing for serious public investments in climate mitigation, including better building materials and practices, flood protection, and irrigation systems.

Above all, they should stop flying around the world for climate pilgrimages and start meeting virtually. The hypocrisy has become impossible to ignore, and the costs of pushing bad climate policies onto people is materially hurting them – it has to stop.

Romel Dhalla, is President of Dhalla Advisory Corp., provides strategic corporate finance advice to companies and high net worth individuals and was a portfolio manager and investment advisor with two major Canadian banks for 17 years. Contact him at romel@ dacorp.ca. Any views or opinions represented in this article are personal and belong solely to the author and do not represent those of people, institutions or organizations that the owner may or may not be associated with in professional or personal capacity, unless explicitly stated. Any views or opinions are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, or individual.

Big Growth for Little Brown Jug in CentrePort Canada

Kevin Selch sits in the front office of Little Brown Jug Brewing Company’s (LBJ) new warehouse with his Borzoi puppy, Klara. Kevin, the President and Founder of LBJ, is awaiting the arrival of council and staff from the R.M. of Rosser and CentrePort Canada. They’re coming by to tour the space and discuss his experience as a new tenant at Steele Business Park in CentrePort Canada.

It’s a moment of calm in an otherwise whirlwind year.

Kevin recently completed his one-year tenure as Board Chair of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce. While he was Chair, LBJ expanded its location for the first time: they began leasing the warehouse in Steele Business Park in November of 2024 and moved in this Spring. It was also a year heavily impacted by tariffs, supply chain issues, and interprovincial trade barriers.

gian Pale Ale – to 16 tanks, a canning line, a centrifuge, and a variety of beer, cider, and sparkling water for sale at the brewery and in liquor stores and beer vendors in Manitoba and parts of Alberta and Saskatchewan. You can find LBJ in the Craft Beer Corner at the Canada Life Centre and at local festivals; LBJ is the exclusive beer supplier for the Winnipeg Folk Festival, Pride Winnipeg, Winnipeg Jazz Festival, and the Great Outdoor Comedy Festival in Winnipeg.

Until this year, the brewery relied on other warehouses and distribution to store boxes, grain, beer, and empty cans. But operations had become cumbersome.

“We had grown to a point where we needed to bring that expense in-house and have better control over our logistics,” said Kevin.

Edmundson CentrePort Canada

“Given my background in economics, it’s been kind of a germane year to be Chair,” says Kevin. Before LBJ opened in 2016, Kevin spent a decade in Ottawa as an Economist and Senior Policy Advisor for the Federal Government.

That expertise helped Kevin draft a business plan that has since grown LBJ into one of Manitoba’s most successful craft breweries. His experience also proved invaluable during his Chamber tenure, where he advocated for small businesses navigating economic challenges. Today, Kevin is focused on leading his team of 30+ employees (plus seasonal staff) who work in LBJ’s Exchange District taproom in Winnipeg, the warehouse in Rosser, and most recently, the newly opened LBJ taproom space at the Winnipeg Richardson International Airport.

Ten Years of 1919

LBJ will celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2026. Since the craft brewery first opened, operations have expanded from just two tanks and one beer offering – the 1919 Bel-

This past spring, Kevin’s team moved into their warehouse at Steele Business Park, MMI Asset Management’s state-of-the-art multi-tenant industrial development. For Kevin, one of the biggest perks of the new space is its 28-foot-high ceilings.

“You could lease for less at an older building, but you’re not going to get the ceiling height,” says Kevin. “If you’re able to use the elevation, it’s actually cheaper.”

Empty beer cans are stacked to the ceiling: that’s 48 tallboys high. The space also accommodates bulk grain deliveries, which helps bring down shipping costs, and features a cold storage that Kevin sometimes refers to as “the largest beer fridge in Manitoba.” It fits up to 200 pallets of beer, extending LBJ’s shelf life.

LBJ beer is unpasteurized. At room temperature, it lasts six months, but proper refrigeration extends its shelf life to over a year. Cold storage allows LBJ to supply distributors with enough beer to fill orders and keep a reserve chilled to smooth out production. Kevin says this is especially helpful in the spring and summer “when we literally can’t

produce enough beer.”

The other draw was the location. Steele Business Park is located in CentrePort North in the R.M. of Rosser, which means no business taxes, and it’s only a 20- to 30-minute drive from LBJ’s downtown location. Plus, its direct access to major highways, including the Perimeter Highway, allows the LBJ team to easily deliver kegs and cans across the city.

Kevin says that CentrePort is also well-situated to one day distribute beer across the country and help grow LBJ’s customer base. With ongoing provincial discussions about reducing trade barriers, Kevin is hopeful that he can afford to sell his beer in Ontario someday.

For now, the new warehouse is helping LBJ manage inventory and production more efficiently.

“This warehouse was really our growth project for the year,” says Kevin. “This facility is an integral part of our organization and has set us up for the future.”

With the new warehouse in place, LBJ is ready for its next decade of growth.

Carly Edmundson is the President & CEO of CentrePort Canada Inc.

The Goal? Bringing life back to Graham Avenue with the help of our community

Wendy Janzen

Imagine a downtown where the hum of traffic is softened by rustling leaves, where neighbours gather under the shade of trees, and where public spaces invite you to linger, connect, and belong. This summer, Winnipeg got a glimpse of that future on Graham Avenue.

The Green Corridor Advisory Circle was established in 2021 by a group of community members and organizations who share a vision for a downtown that is welcoming, diverse, green, and alive with public activity. We’ve long advocated for investment in Graham Avenue as a central spine of our city’s core: a place where nature, culture, and community intersect.

This summer’s temporary installations on Graham were more than just beautification. They were a powerful demonstration of how thoughtful design and community spirit can transform public space. Trees, native plants, benches, and playful elements turned a stretch of pavement into a place where people could sit, talk, play, and enjoy the city. It was a glimpse of what’s possible when we prioritize people in our urban planning.

We are especially grateful to Ron Paul Garden Centre for their generous donation of trees, benches, and plants. Their contribution made a remarkable difference, not only in how our downtown looks, but in how it feels. What makes their gift even more special is the spirit in which it was given: quietly, without any request for rec-

ognition or reward. This kind of generosity is the heartbeat of a thriving city.

Creating spaces where people can find shade, rest, connect, and move freely is about more than aesthetics, it’s about belonging. It’s about building a city where everyone feels invited to participate in public life.

Let’s build on this momentum. Let’s encourage more partnerships, more greenery, and more spaces that invite connection. And let’s celebrate the quiet champions like Ron Paul Garden Centre whose generosity helps us grow not just plants, but community. The seeds of a better downtown have been planted. Now it’s up to all of us to help them flourish.

Wendy Janzen, is the Chair of the Green Corridor Citizen’s Advisory Circle.

Is this the beginning of Canada’s collapse?

Separation talk is no longer a fantasy; it’s becoming policy

Inever imagined I would be writing a column questioning whether we are witnessing the beginning of the end of Canada. For decades, the idea of this country breaking apart felt like an academic debate that flared up during economic downturns or political scandals, then settled back into the quiet confidence most Canadians felt about our shared future. That confidence is no longer shared. The signs are piling up, province by province, and the silence from Ottawa is making things worse.

Across the federation, serious discussions about separation are gaining traction. These aren’t fringe activists shouting into the wind. They are business leaders, community figures, and everyday residents who believe their province is no longer respected or represented by the federal government. What is most alarming is how many Canadians dismiss these conversations as background noise, as if unity is something that sustains itself without leadership or action.

patience is wearing thin. And why wouldn’t it? These are the only two landlocked provinces in Canada. They rely on cooperation from Ottawa to get their energy to international markets. Instead, they face regulatory walls and political lectures.

Fagerheim wants something very simple: a federal government willing to help break down barriers so Canadian products can reach global buyers without being sold at a discount. That isn’t radical. That is common sense. But common sense has been missing in Ottawa for years.

Kevin Klein

Take Quebec. The Parti Québécois has revived the sovereignty project with more detail than we have seen in years. Their recently expanded plan includes the groundwork for a Quebec currency and a central bank if independence occurs. They estimate a decade-long transition after a referendum, which puts potential milestones into the mid-2030s. The timing isn’t fixed, but the direction is unmistakable. While most Quebecers still oppose separation, the PQ is gaining momentum. Ignoring that would be irresponsible.

But the most pressing danger is coming from the West, and the warning signs are impossible to miss.

Prime Minister Mark Carney recently announced another round of so-called nation-building projects. Once again, an Alberta pipeline was nowhere to be found. At this point that omission is not an oversight. It is a message. And people in the West have heard it loud and clear.

Grant Fagerheim, the CEO of Whitecap Resources, didn’t soften his words when asked about Ottawa’s refusal to prioritize pipeline development. He warned that if the federal government continues to stall, we should expect “fury from Alberta and Saskatchewan.” He’s right. Their

Meanwhile, Americans continue selling our oil and gas to other countries at a premium while also benefiting from cheaper domestic fuel. We have allowed ourselves to become a captive supplier to the United States. A pipeline to tidewater would give Canadians access to international markets instead of being forced into the role of junior partner in our own energy economy.

Yet when Alberta proposes a bitumen pipeline or even a broader energy corridor that could move natural gas, oil, rail, and electricity across multiple provinces, Ottawa hesitates. Fagerheim’s vision is practical and rooted in economic reality. He knows the industry inside and out. His company just completed a massive merger to create a leading Canadian light oil producer. He’s not making emotional arguments. He’s speaking from experience.

He is also blunt about the political double standard. If these resources were in central or eastern Canada, he believes “this would be a different game.” That shouldn’t be controversial. It is supported by decades of decisions that favoured one region’s priorities over another’s.

And he’s right that the energy sector has been demonized. Few Canadians seem aware that Western producers spend enormous resources on emissions reduction, carbon sequestration, and responsible development. Saskatchewan is home to one of the largest carbon sequestration projects on the planet. It earns applause in Europe and Asia, but barely a mention in its own country. How long can a federation survive when the engine of its economy is treated like an inconvenience?

This rising frustration is fueling talk of autonomy and, increasingly, separation. Saskatchewan is quietly evaluating its options. Alberta’s sovereignty discussions are becoming louder. In town halls across the province, residents are openly questioning Ottawa’s intentions. When people begin asking whether they should stay in Canada, it means something fundamental has already been lost.

For provinces like Manitoba, this is a direct threat. If Alberta and Saskatchewan decide they have had enough, equalization payments collapse. Manitoba would face financial devastation. Services would be slashed. Our economy would take a hit that would take generations to recover from. These are not speculative warnings. They are mathematical realities.

Yet Ottawa continues selecting projects in regions with the most votes, while the West is expected to wait patiently for recognition. That pattern erodes trust. And without trust, there is no federation.

Corporations see this instability too. Every headline about sovereignty, every political fight over pipelines, every sign that Ottawa is unwilling to support resource development makes investors hesitate. Capital is mobile. If uncertainty grows, companies will place their money elsewhere. Canada cannot afford to bleed investment and expect the economy to somehow hold together. We are already losing ground. Printing money and hoping inflation will settle is not a plan. It is a gamble.

The prime minister has the power right now to approve a pipeline, stabilize relations with the West, and reassure global investors that Canada is still a reliable partner. He has the authority to negotiate firmly with the United States and strengthen our continental relationship. Most importantly, he has the responsibility to keep this country united.

Unity doesn’t happen by accident. It requires leadership that treats every province as essential, not just the ones with the most seats. It requires a federal government willing to listen, negotiate, and act.

The separation movements growing today are not driven by anger alone. They are driven by a sense that Canada is drifting without direction. If we do not confront that reality soon, we may wake up one day to find that the country we believed was unbreakable has begun to come apart.

The importance of traditions in December

Continued from page 1

precious relationships rather than squishing them into left over segments of time.

What: What are the activities and special events that will make this holiday season memorable and magical for you and for the people you love? Make a list of the things you would most like to do and try to match those activities with the people you want to spend time with over the next four weeks. Do you like to attend several holiday concerts, performances,

or special parties? Plan to attend these events with your favourite people. There are plenty of wonderful things to do at every budget level, and many of the loveliest things don’t cost anything at all. In fact, the most meaningful things you can do in this season have everything to do with generosity, kindness, hospitality, and friendship.

Where: Are there areas in your neighbourhood or community that fill you with

wonder and joy? Schedule visits to those locations in December and allow the inspiration of those places and spaces to add serenity and meaning to your month. Perhaps you love certain parks, museums, art galleries, public spaces, stores, restaurants, bakeries, places of worship, or family heritage places that add meaning to your life. Fit a visit to those favourite places into your December schedule. You won’t regret this journey.

When: This comes back to the need for a calendar. So many of the most important opportunities for adding wonder and joy to our lives are passed by if we do not plan to include them in our lives and write them into our calendars. Think about the month of December the way you plan a trip to a long-awaited vacation destination. Make reservations in advance to visit the places you want to see, plan for the restaurants and concerts you want to include, reserve some budget to make these experiences special.

Why: These days it has become very common to talk about the importance of being conscious of your inner motivation for things that you spend your time, money, and energy pursuing. You may think that you are clear on your motivations for everything you do, but December can surprise you with the emotional and psychological responses to the sounds, expectations, and scents of the season. The smell of gingerbread can make you weep if it reminds you of a departed loved one, and the sound of a favourite carol sung by a children’s choir can fill your heart with joy.

The 5W approach to experiencing December may feel like an Agatha Christie mystery approach to the celebrations, but you may just find that thinking about December in a different way leads you to the peace, love, and understanding that truly add wonder and beauty to this season.

May your December be filled with great joy.

Trudy Schroeder provides project planning and management services to the community through Arts and Heritage Solutions.

A season of self-indulgence - just don’t overdo it and be happier

Fred Pennell

The holidays are a great time for connecting with family, sharing joy, and enjoying some of the beauty of winter. What we need to be mindful of, is the plentiful, heavy food we eat around this time of year. It’s not just the family feasts either – between advent calendars and Christmas cookies, snacking on sweets can contribute to overeating as well.

Especially as we get older, overeating can take its toll on our bodies, even if it's just around the holidays. Unwanted weight gain, spikes in blood sugar, and improper nutrition are all possibilities. While the occasional indulgence around the holidays is just fine (go ahead and enjoy that eggnog), being mindful about what we eat can make us happier and healthier.

Here’s three tips on how to watch what you eat:

Eat more slowly. When the table is packed with festive food, and conversation can distract you, it’s easy to eat quickly and without being mindful of what's going into your mouth. When this happens, we can easily devour our meal, knowing second helpings are coming right behind them.

When we eat quickly, however, sometimes our bodies don’t get a chance to let us know they feel “full.” There’s generally a delay between when you feel satiated, and overfull. During that time, it’s easy to continue eating, even if that will lead to discomfort later. By taking time to eat slowly, we give our bodies a chance

to catch up.

Be mindful about alcohol. It’s easy to indulge in a few drinks over the holidays. And in moderation, alcohol is often a fine accompaniment to food. That said, being mindful of what we drink is a key part in not overeating. While scientists aren’t precisely sure why, alcohol consumption is frequently associated with overeating. Making sure you don’t overindulge with alcohol will prevent overindulgence with food, too.

And, while a bottle of beer doesn’t seem like much, alcohol is full of empty calories that can contribute to weight gain. When you consider your consumption, think about a drink the same way you would a snack, and make sure your portions reflect that.

Drink plenty of water. Water is truly the greatest beverage – it keeps us hydrated and healthy without adding a single calorie to our diets. Water has the add-

Holiday greetings

As the holiday season arrives, I want to extend my warmest wishes to everyone across Winnipeg West. This is a time when we come together, not only to celebrate, but to reconnect with the people, traditions, and values that make our community so special. Whether you are gathering with family in Westwood, visiting friends in St. James, or taking a quiet moment for reflection, the holidays remind us of the importance of kindness, gratitude, and the connections that bring us together.

Throughout the year, I have had the privilege of meeting residents from every corner of Winnipeg West, including families in Crestview, seniors in Charleswood, small business owners

along Portage Avenue, and newcomers building their lives here. In every conversation, I am reminded of the resilience, generosity, and steady spirit that define this community. People here look out for one another, share their concerns openly, and bring heart to every conversation. These interactions, whether in the constituency office, at local events, or while out in the community, make this work meaningful and reaffirm my commitment to serving you.

This year has also been a significant one for our country. With the passage of Budget 2025, our government has taken important steps to build a stronger foundation for the years ahead. This budget was shaped with Canadians in mind,

ed benefit of filling up our stomachs so that we’re less inclined to fill up on food. Keeping a glass of water handy throughout your holiday activities is a good idea.

Another reason to consider drinking water regularly is that often our bodies misinterpret thirst for hunger. The sensors in our body can send very similar signals for both hunger and thirst, and when we’re surrounded by holiday goodies, it can be all too easy to reach for a treat before a sip of water. But try having a drink instead and see how you feel!

While overeating can be all too common this time of year, there are steps you can take to manage it properly. Try eating more slowly, minding your alcohol consumption, and drinking lots of water, and you’ll be able to enjoy the season.

And don’t forget, with Heart to Home Meals, you can enjoy food that has been selected not only because it’s delicious, but also because it has been properly portioned and selected for its nutritional value. Get in touch today and find out how we can help with your meals this holiday season.

We wish you the best over the Holidays as you celebrate the season with friends and loved ones.

Fred Pennell is the franchise owner of Heart to Home Meals Winnipeg. He and his team provide home-delivered, chef-crafted frozen meals specifically for seniors. Fred is also the President of Pembina Active Living, a community that enhances the quality of life for older adults in South Winnipeg.

focusing on strengthening communities, supporting families, and ensuring our economy is equipped for long-term growth.

A central component of the budget is the Build Communities Strong Fund, a generational investment that will help modernize the infrastructure Canadians rely on every day. In Winnipeg West, this includes support for healthcare facilities, affordable housing, community centres, and essential local services. These investments will ensure our communities have the tools they need to thrive. They are designed not just to meet the demands of today, but to prepare for the opportunities and challenges of the future.

Budget 2025 also includes measures to grow our economy in a fair and sustainable way, helping local businesses innovate, creating good jobs, and giving families greater stability. The plan supports seniors, young people, and workers with practical, forward-look-

Lifestyles 55 Radio’s Chris Tuffer

Hi folks. I’m Chris Tuffer and I used to be a conventional radio DJ back in the day.

After a few years of playing the tunes from the sixties and seventies I converted to preaching in the Anglican Church.

Since I retired a number of years ago, I have been attempting

to find a venue to replay those old tunes that we all remember so fondly. Lifestyles55 has given me that very venue. My idea is to play NOT the number one hits but those secondary selections that seem to get left out. I devised a platform for the number two songs. These are definitely not songs that we

ing initiatives that reflect the realities Canadians face. At its core, the budget is about creating opportunity, building resilience, and ensuring no one is left behind.

But beyond policies and plans, what inspires me most is what I see every day right here in Winnipeg West. The strength of our community comes from the people who call it home, people who show care for their neighbours, give their time generously, and remain hopeful about the future we are building together.

As we look ahead to a new year, I am grateful for the trust you have placed in me and for the chance to work on your behalf. I remain committed to listening, advocating, and helping build a future that reflects the values and aspirations of our community. From my family to yours, I wish you a joyful holiday season and all the very best for 2026.

Doug Eyolfson is the Liberal M.P. for Winnipeg West.

have forgotten but we don’t seem to hear them very often.

So, you and I are on a Quest for Silver. We play all those songs that were not at the top of the popular song lists and together we share the associated memories. For example, the Creedence Clearwater Revival did not have a number one song on the singles

charts in the USA, and that is how we get to relive some songs that have fallen through the “chart cracks” to coin a phrase. Find us on the internet and see if you like hearing the number two songs on our Quest for Silver. I’m Chris Tuffer and I hope that you will always be cool and stay warm.

Deluca’s continues to grow and prosper under new younger leadership

Once upon a time – before the advent of the ubiquitous supermarket, the small corner grocery store was the backbone of our society. While there are still numerous grocery stores serving local neighbourhoods, one of the few to break out of the mold and grow into a city-wide institution is De Luca’s Specialty Food Store.

To really succeed in any family-owned business, you need to have a niche as well as be offering other value-added services. It also helps to have children who are willing to carry on the business. De Luca has succeeded on all counts.

prices,” Paolo notes.

Strolling through the store, a visitor will find a good selection of wines, cheeses, pastas, baked goods, charcutier and chocolates – as well as prepared foods.

Under the relatively new leadership of brothers, Marco, Paolo and Fabio – the sons of co-founder Pasquale De Luca –the iconic food service institution – De Luca’s continues to grow and prosper.

De Luca’s was founded by brothers Peter, Tony, Pasquale, and Frank De Luca who, in 1969, opened a small grocery store at 950 Portage Avenue (four blocks west of Arlington). Previously, Tony had been a successful realtor while Peter was in the floor veneering business.

From the beginning, according to Paolo De Luca, Peter and Tony focused largely on providing products sourced from Italy and other Mediterranean countries.

“The DeLuca Brothers always strived to offer quality ingredients at the best

In the early 70s, Marco points out, an increasing number of immigrants from Italy, Greece, Spain and Portugal looked to a place like De Luca’s for the gastronomic comforts of home. At the same time, more Winnipeggers were traveling to these Mediterranean countries and, in Marco’s words, having had the opportunity to sample the cuisine of Italy and Greece, were looking to recreated some of these taste experiences here.

Thus, De Luca’s quickly became a meeting place not just for those living in the Wolseley area but also for food aficionados from throughput the city.

The brothers’ first addition was a small sandwich shop. “When demand began for our produce, we blew out a wall and expanded. Next came a bakery to meet a growing demand for Italian pastry.

In the late 1980s, Tony – who had become the public face – started a cooking school which, a few years later, led to the opening of a 50-seat restaurant upstairs featuring soups, salads, pasta and pizza and bread from De Luca’s own bakery.

(The restaurant is open weekdays from 11:30 to 2:30 weekdays and until

3:30 on Saturdays.)

Over the years, the brothers diversified their business – with Peter taking responsibility for the new distribution division. Marco notes that DeLuca’s is a supplier to other retail grocers and restaurants and has also developed a catering service. The DeLuca Brothers used the Portage store’s basement to warehouse their imports – but they soon found that they needed more capacity. They first rented a warehouse in the early 1980s on McPhillips, then moved to larger premises on King Edward Street. In 2018, the brothers built their own warehouse, including a second grocery store, at 66 South Landing Drive, a new industrial park in south Winnipeg off McGillivray and just outside the city limit.

Marco notes that the new location also includes a coffee roast plant. “We sell roasted coffee as well as specialty coffee machines and equipment,” he says.

Fabio De Luca oversees the sales and

service of the coffee equipment and service team.

Marco, Paolo and Fabio DeLuca –who all began working in the family business as a young age - officially took over the DeLuca’s operation three years ago. While the other three founding brothers are fully retired, they report, their father Peter still comes in regularly. “Even though our dad is now 76, he still comes in every day for six or seven hours,” Paolo says. “He oversees our gourmet coffee sales. He only takes time off in the summers to tend to his garden and for short trips in the winter.”

Under Marco and Paolo’s leadership, DeLuca’s has added gelato to its offerings. “Gelato is part of the Italian culture,” Marco points out. “A satisfying Italian supper includes wine and is completed by some gelato.”

DeLuca’s is also planning to open a third location very soon.

For the DeLuca Family, their business success has been based on building strong relations with their customers. “Over three generations, DeLuca’s has become a meeting place,” says Marco. “We have customers who have been dropping in continually for decades. It has become a tradition that they have passed on to their children and grandchildren.”

Paolo adds that the DeLuca Brothers also works on building relationships with their suppliers locally, in eastern Canada, and in southern Europe. As for the future, the next generation is already working in the store. “We are hopeful that our children will want to carry on our family’s legacy,” Marco says.

Nothing is impossible about the impossible cake

Chocoflan, often referred to as “the impossible cake,” is a breathtaking dessert that captures the imagination with its stunning layers and irresistible flavors. As you slice into this culinary masterpiece, the rich, velvety chocolate cake gives way to a creamy, custard-like flan, creating a sultry contrast that entices both the eyes and the palate. The glossy caramel sauce drizzled on top glistens seductively, hinting at the sweet decadence that awaits.

The first bite is a revelation—a harmonious blend of textures where the dense chocolate cake meets the smooth, creamy flan. The richness of the chocolate envelops you, while the flan adds a light, airy quality that balances the experience beautifully. Each mouthful is a dance of flavors, with hints of vanilla and caramel intertwining, creating a luxurious taste that lingers long after the last bite.

incorporated. Slowly and carefully pour flan mixture over the back of a large spoon into Bundt pan. Once all ingredients are in the Bundt tin tightly seal with tin foil then place in a large roasting pan. Place the roasting pan with Bundt tin inside into the oven, then pour in boiling about 3 cups of boiling water until it reaches halfway up the sides of Bundt pan. (If you don’t have enough water because roasting pan is large, add more boiling water. Be careful).

Ian Leatt Foodies

The process of making chocoflan is as enchanting as the dessert itself. As the flan bakes atop the chocolate layer, the two magically transform into one another, a delightful alchemy that seems almost otherworldly. The anticipation builds as the cake cools, the aroma of chocolate and caramel filling the kitchen, promising an indulgent treat.

Imagine presenting this stunning dessert at a gathering, the rich hues of chocolate and golden flan drawing everyone in. As the first slice is served, gasps of delight fill the room, and the excitement is palpable. Each forkful shared among friends and family becomes a moment of connection, a celebration of life’s sweet pleasures.

Chocoflan is more than just a dessert; it’s an experience—an enchanting journey through rich flavors and sultry textures that invites you to linger and savor the moment. It embodies the beauty of indulgence, reminding us that the simplest joys can be the most extraordinary.

Here is what you will need:

Cake

½ cup unsalted butter

¼ cup caramel sauce

1 cup lightly packed dark brown sugar

1 large egg, room temperature

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

¾ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup warm coffee

½ cup plain Greek yogurt

Flan

5 large eggs

1 can sweetened condensed milk

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup whole milk

The all important how to: For the Cake

Preheat the to 350ºF. Ensure that the shelfing in the oven is evenly spaced making sure that the middle of the oven has enough clearance for the Bundt cake tin. Start by taking your softened butter, which should be at room temperature for easy spreading. Grab a pastry brush or a paper towel and scoop out a generous amount of the butter. As you spread it, make sure to cover every crevice and curve of the Bundt tin. The butter should create a thin, even layer that ensures the cake releases easily after baking.

Pour the caramel inside the Bundt tin so as to form a layer, ensure all of the curves are covered.

In the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted whisk the brown sugar and remaining butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, then beat in the egg until fully combined.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, beating until fully combined. Pour in the warm coffee and beat until incorporated. Continue until all ingredients blended then finally add the Greek yogurt and whisk thoroughly. Pour batter into prepared pan on top of caramel.

For the Flan

Using a large bowl, whisk eggs, condensed milk, and vanilla until combined. Add the milk and whisk until

Don’t not let the water run dry, if required add more water during the baking process. Bake the chocoflan until a tester inserted into the center of cake comes out clean, 70 minutes. Once cooked, carefully transfer Bundt pan to a wire rack and remove the foil seal. Leave to cool for a minimum of 1 hour, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

It is important to note that letting the cake cool completely inside the Bundt tin before removing from pan. The flan still needs to set after it's removed from the oven, so don't remove it from the

tin too early.

To remove the chocoflan from the tin, loosen cake by placing Bundt pan in a large bowl of hot water. Place a platter upside down on cake tin, then flip to unmold cake. Spoon any remaining caramel from pan over top of cake. Present your dessert and enjoy with your friends and family.

Ian Leatt is a trained chef from across the pond.

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My Christmas card – farewell

After six years and nine months totalling 81 submissions to Lifestyles 55, I have decided to pack it in. And so, given the final month of the year, this is my Christmas card to you. It’s a little Yuletide Trivia just for you. Three phrases that sum up Christmas are: Peace on Earth, Goodwill to Men, and Batteries not Included.

• Did you know that just under 6-million litres of eggnog are sold across Canada in an average December? You know the classic Christmas movie A Christmas Story? A lot of it was filmed in Canada including Ralphie’s school, the Chinese restaurant where his family eats Christmas dinner as well as the interior segments.

of socks.

• About 11% of Canadians admit they’ll leave this year’s holiday shopping to the last minute. Only 7% shop for holiday gifts throughout the year.

• Canadians plan to spend anywhere from $800 to $2,310 this holiday season. (I’m hoping to be in the $80 bracket including the turkey.)

I’m dreaming of a white Christmas. But if the white runs out, I’ll drink the red.

Did you know Canada has almost 2,000 Christmas tree farms? Each year, we ship more than two million Christmas trees to over 20 countries, including Barbados, France, Jamaica and Thailand. Mentioning other countries, Iceland has 13 merry mischiefmakers known as the Yule Lads. They visit children on nights leading up to Christmas. Each Lad has a unique personality from Door-Slammer to SpoonLicker. (I’ve been both.) Good kids find treats in their shoes, while naughty ones get potatoes. There are four stages in life: 1) You believe in Santa Claus. 2) You don’t believe in Santa Claus. 3) You are Santa Claus. 4) You look like Santa Claus.

The classic Santa, and my favourite, is the one from the Coca Cola print ads created in 1931. He’s still around.

If you were born in Canada after 1964, your Christmases might have included watching the animation special, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. An American production company created it, but there’s a Canadian connection. All the characters’ voices (with the exception of Sam the Snowman) were performed by Canadian actors, singers at the RCA Victor Studios in Toronto.

IF YOU ARE A SENIOR. . . . . .

You should consider having the following in place

Will

The preparation of a will may seem like a daunting task, however, it is essential to ensure that your property is disposed of according to your wishes upon your death. If you pass away without a valid will, the law states what is to happen to your estate.

Power of Attorney

A power of attorney is a document which appoints an individual to handle your affairs in the event you become mentally incapable of making your own decisions. Nothing prevents you from continuing to make your own decisions while you are still competent. A power of attorney is an extremely valuable document to have in place in case anything happens to you which affects your mental ability, such as a stroke, coma or dementia.

Health Care Directive (Living Will)

A health care directive, commonly called a living will, is a document which appoints an individual to make decisions with regard to your health care only, while you are alive but unable to express your decisions yourself. This document is distinct from a power of attorney and deals only with health care decisions such as whether life sustaining treatments, such as CPR or blood transfusion, should be continued or withdrawn.

Standard Fees* Seniors

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Health Care Directive $125.00 $100.00

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Canadians purchase about 2 million whole turkeys at Christmas which amounts to 45 per cent of all turkeys sold that year. In Japan, Christmas dinner is a bit different. Since the 1970s, a successful campaign by KFC turned fried chicken into an annual festive tradition. Today, millions of Japanese families pre-order their Christmas buckets weeks in advance.

Quick plug for RWB’s The Nutcracker starting December 19. Get your tickets now.

Christmas: the only time of year you can sit in front of a dead tree eating candy out

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer first appeared in 1939. A U.S. department store asked one of its copywriters, 34-year-old Robert L. May, to create a Christmas story the store could give away to shoppers. In the first year of publication, 2.4 million copies of Rudolph’s story were distributed by Montgomery Ward. Songwriter Johnny Marks, decided to adapt the story of Rudolph into song. His version of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” was recorded by Gene Autry in 1949. And finally, did you know with more than 137,000 known recordings, "Silent Night" is the most recorded Christmas song in history?

Dear Santa, I’ve been good all year. Most of the time. Once in a while. Never mind, I’ll buy my own stuff.

You can still take a trip down Jim’s free musical memory lane podcasts online at Lifestyles55radio.ca.

NOTE

Jim has been a highlight in the pages of Lifestyle for almost seven years. We have loved his humour, his insight and his grace. We have invited him back any time he gets the urge to share anything that tickles his creative fantasy. At least I will be able to delve into his podcasts for my Jim-fix now! We will miss you, Jim. – Dorothy

Dominion Street and WHAT IF? the six longest letters

Dominion Street is named after the then official terminology of our great nation, the "Dominion of Canada." (The title “Dominion” was dropped in 1982.)

Winnipeg football fans fondly remember the Blue Bombers two-day 1962 Grey Cup victory in the Fog Bowl. In the deciding game of the Western final, the Bombers were trailing Calgary 7-6. Gerry James missed the gamewinning, last-play field goal, but the ball got into the end zone. Calgary tried unsuccessfully to kick the ball out of the end zone. Farrell Funston, a teacher Sargent Park school at 1070 Dominion Street and Bomber tight end playing with an injured knee, fell on the ball for the winning touchdown. WHAT IF this unusual play had experienced a more predictable outcome?

In 1905, Charles Brown a night watchman, is the first Dominion Street resident to be listed in the Henderson Directory

tions to secure ice time at the Winnipeg Amphitheatre. The following season, Fred was on the executive of the Winnipeg Junior Falcons (Winnipeg's forgotten championship team).

The Junior Falcons defeated Howie Morenz's Stratford Midgets to become the first Western Canadian Memorial Cup Champions. Harold McMunn was a player on that 1920-21 Winnipeg Junior Falcons team. In 1924, McMunn played for the Toronto Granites Olympic champions. Harold worked for 48 years at Moore Business Forms.

Fred Morris

From the desk of a gadfly

Between 1942 and 1984, only two people represented Winnipeg North Center in Parliament. Both Stanley Knowles and PC lawyer John MacLean (1958-62) moved to Dominion Street after being elected. Knowles is remembered for fighting for pensions, Medicare and social programs. Stanley mastered all the parliamentary rules. He received many honours including The Order of Canada and the Manitoba Order of the Buffalo Hunt. A school and park are named in his memory.

Vida Knowles and Majorie Mann, an Ottawa based family friend, produced a World War 2 CCF Cookbook called Canadian Favourites.

In 1960, Bill McGarva began a 20-year political career by being elected Alderman in Ward 2 of the old City of Winnipeg. In 1971, Bill was elected to the Sargent Park Ward to the first 50-person Unicity Winnipeg City Council. Also, Bill worked for 38 years at Moore’s Taxi.

Between 1961 and 1965, Terry Hind served as a Winnipeg Ward 2 Alderman. Between 1986-92 Ernie Gilroy was a Winnipeg City Councillor.

I found several Dominion Street links to the Falcons hockey program. Slim Haldorson, a Manitoba Hockey Hall of Famer, played for the 1920 Winnipeg Falcons who won Canada's first hockey Gold Medal at the Antwerp Belgium 1920 Summer Olympics (see note 1). In 1924-25, Slim played for the Stanley Cup-winning Victoria Cougars. The Cougars are the last non-NHL team to win the Stanley Cup. Slim scored the first-ever goal for the Detroit Cougars (now known as the Red Wings). After his hockey playing days, Slim worked for the Manitoba Liquor Commission.

Prior to their Gold Medal 1919-20 Falcons season, Fred Thordarson, a Falcon executive, and Royal Bank manager, played a pivotal role in the difficult negotia-

On April 27, 2003, Viola Perkins (Slim Haldorson's daughter) dropped the puck for the first Lutheran hockey game commemorating the 1920 Olympic champion Falcons at the Winnipeg Winter Club. In 2002, Shirley McCreedy (Fred Thordarson's daughter) played an important role in reminding the hockey world that the 1920 Falcons, not the 1924 Toronto Granites, had been Canada's first Hockey Gold Medal Team.

Jack Hind, a veteran of World War 1, founded the Rosedale baseball organization. In 1943, Jack, age 51, and son Terry, a super star pitcher age 23, both pitched for the CUAC Senior Baseball championship team. The Howe family in Houston in the mid 1970s were not first two generation championship team. Terry went on to become one of Winnipeg’s greatest sports executives. Terry was the General Manager of 1957, 1959, and 1960 Winnipeg Goldeyes Northern League champions. Terry and Jack (posthumously) were both inducted into the Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame. In 1964, Terry was the president of the 1964 Winnipeg Maroons Allan Cup Hockey championships. Terry was also involved in the management of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and various amateur sports teams.

Wayne Finucan was a drummer for various bands. Wayne performed at Le Voyaguer Hotel, an Eatons Fashion show, on CBC's Music Hop, and the International Inn's Hollow Mug. Wayne later operated a Sargent Avenue production studio.

Sargent Park School opened on January 31, 1949. Sybill Shack was the first Principal; Sybil Shack was a writer and broadcaster for CBC Radio's educational programs. Sybil received the Order of Canada and the Manitoba Order of the Buffalo Hunt. My Uncle Archer Goodridge spent the last four years of his five-decade education career as the Librarian at Sargent Park.

Axel Vponfjord had a five-decade education career. During the 1950s, Alex helped establish Tec Voc Vocational High School.

Many Dominion Street residents had long careers. William Capelle was a Winnipeg Police Officer for 38 years. William was one our city’s first motorcycle Police officers. Also, William helped organize school patrols.

Lawrence Pybus was 43 years with Winnipeg Electric which became Winnipeg Hydro. Thomas Gardiner worked for 36 years with CPR. Godfrey Holmes, a fire inspector, worked for 32 years with Western Fire Underwriters.

In 1944, Fred Edwards won the Real Estate Trophy in the Greater Winnipeg Garden Contest. In 1947, Arnold Page and Sherrill Stephen won the Class D District 2 Free Press Vegetable Garden Competition.

Sally McGarva was involved in the Seniors Olympics and named Mrs. Seniors Olympics. Irene and John Hunchak were married 71 years. At the age of 92, John formed a band which included his daughter Elaine. The Band produced a CD that attracted the attention of CBC National News. Lilia Arnason (1989), and Shirley McCreedy (1993) were Falcons at the Gimli Icelandic Festival.

On the Children's Page of the Winnipeg Free Press, September 25, 1926, Edith Benson's prize drawing called A Mid-Summer Night’s Dream is featured. In April 1940, Rose Cooper and Shelia Hargraves both had entries on the Children Page.

In May 1939, Shirley Thordarson (later to become Shirley McCreedy), a student of Daniel Mac, was a part of a 462-member choir that sang for King George and Queen Elizabeth during the 1939 Royal Visit.

Another what if

Between the 1950s and 1980s, Alex Kapitany was a qualified journeyman electrician. On June 8, 1954, at 1:30, Alex and some other Eatons Electricians left their work inside Eatons to investigate a small fire in a neon sign in the Tie building kitty corner to Eatons. Alex offered to use his wire cutters to cut the power to BX Cable. Alex's offer was refused. The fire quickly spread, damaging and destroying several buildings. There was almost $3 million in property damage. What if Alex had been allowed to use his wire cutters?

NOTE 1: The first Winter Olympics was held in France in 1924. Hockey was introduced at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp Belgium. The Falcons won the first hockey gold medal on April 26, 1920. This can be verified on Page 39 of Sean Grassie's Book 150 Years of Sport in Manitoba. In 1924, Hockey switched to the Winter Games. This situation may explain why the 1924 Toronto Granites were once considered to be Canada's first Olympic Gold Medal Hockey team. As mentioned that misinterpretation of history angered Shirley Mccreedy (nee Thordarson) and other Icelandic Canadians. It has since been corrected.

NOTE 2: Next March is the 70th Anniversary of the Organization of St. Stephen's Lutheran Church. I am compiling a list of 70 members of the Church of St. Stephen and St. Bede

I am asking people to vote for who should in on this list. More details are available by contacting me at fredmorris@hotmail.com.

Fred Morris is a Grandfather, Sports Fan and Political Activist.

Your support for the WSO’s New Music Festival means everything to me

Throughout its history, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra has played a leading role in supporting the creation of new music in Canada, most notably through its now 35-yearsyoung Winnipeg New Music Festival (WNMF). For the past 10 years, I have had the honour of being both the WSO’s Composer-in-Residence and the Co-Curator of WNMF. At the end of this concert season, I will be departing these roles; WNMF 2026 will be the last edition I will have programmed.

My position at the WSO has allowed me to be at the helm of a festival that takes audiences on an unforgettable journey through the captivating realm of contemporary music, where cutting-edge compositions and groundbreaking performances converge to create an extraordinary celebration of talent. I have always been impressed by the creative risks this position has afforded me, and I am especially cognizant of

the fact that these risks are largely made possible by the support we receive from our dedicated group of WNMF patrons and donors. This festival is not a moneymaker for the WSO but is illustrative of our commitment to bringing bold, innovative music to Winnipeg and being a platform for new artistic voices, while playing a direct and significant role over the past three and a half decades in developing the identity of Canadian art music.

What we have planned for the 2026 WNMF will showcase the exceptional talents of both established and emerging artists who represent a delightful variety of styles and approaches to music-making. Some are actively seeking to push the boundaries of traditional music and reflect the current landscape of creative expression in this era that often seems dominated by technology and artifice; others are confidently channeling the musical traditions of which they are a part in a celebration

of human ingenuity and emotional nuance. In all cases, you can rest assured that I and the WSO’s entire creative team have worked long and hard to develop musical experiences that are impactful and memorable.

As part of the WSO’s mission to help develop and promote Canadian talent, we are proud to host once again this year at WNMF the Michael Nesbitt Composers Institute – recently renamed in honour of the festival’s premier patron, whose generosity has for many years enabled us to present a cultural event of a scale and quality that would otherwise have been impossible to sustain. The Composers Institute, which I founded upon joining the WSO in 2016 and have directed since, has helped launch the careers of dozens of talented Canadian composers. It offers an in-depth professional development program that culminates each year in the concert premiere of brandnew orchestral works by emerging artists. Producing a festival of the WNMF’s scope – it being the largest contemporary music festival in Canada – always presents immense challenges for staff and talent alike. Each edition of the festival typically consists of six or seven mainstage concert events, each one a totally unique program. This entails the commissioning and co-commissioning of new works by living artists; the hiring of multiple soloists, ensembles, and multimedia artists; the rental and purchase of a large quantity of scores and parts; extensive production design and technical personnel; venue and equipment rentals; bespoke marketing initiatives; and appearance fees and travel expenses for the many composers we proudly present to Winnipeg audiences – in addition to all the existing expenses associated with operating a full symphony orchestra and

national-level arts organization.

Despite these substantial costs, we aim to expand horizons through the festival. The WSO is aware that, in order to reach a broader demographic, we need to keep the cost of attendance lower than many of our other offerings. As a result, the festival – and the creative risks we take with it – requires funding that goes far beyond our ticket sales. Support for WNMF from donors like you enables us to continue to engage and entertain its dedicated audience while also reaching communities that face barriers accessing or are unfamiliar with contemporary art music.

As I step back from my role as Co-Curator of WNMF, I want to be certain that the festival can continue to thrive and to always strive for artistic excellence. You can help ensure the future of the festival and, in turn, the cultural richness of our community by donating to the WNMF. Your support of the WNMF would not only ensure the continued success of this festival but would also make a significant impact on the lives of many Canadian artists, musicians, and visionaries.

If you want to continue to be exposed to Canadian and World premieres of major composers from around the world and strikingly unique performances by ground-breaking artists, presented to you in interesting venues, while also supporting the burgeoning careers of young Canadian talent, then please consider making a donation to the WNMF.

Thank you for your support and for coming along on the various musical journeys I have helped curate for you over the years through the Winnipeg New Music Festival.

Haralabos [Harry] Stafylakis is the WNMF Co-Curator and the WSO Composer-in-Residence.

A protective detention centre

charged with murdering them.

But the 570 people who died in Manitoba last year are nameless. We don't know their names – but we should. In my own personal life, I know at least three people who have died of overdoses, but I don’t know as many names as I should. No one really knows the solution to this deadly crisis, but we must try new solutions if we care about those who are suffering and dying from the meth epidemic.

I believe that the proposed protective detention care facility at 190 Disraeli is the best first step to get drug users into a medical facility space where they can come down from their high with the medical services they desperately need. It will get people away from drugs and drug dealers – something I’ve

dedicated my life to doing.

The current Intoxicated Persons Detention Act was passed in 1987 - at a time when alcohol was the biggest drug problem our society faced. It was a different time. Fentanyl was still about 25 years away, and first responders rarely encountered people with methinduced psychosis.

Jump to 2025 and meth and fentanyl is everywhere. The nature of the drug crisis is changing every day. The inebriation and health impacts from illicit drugs, requires a longer stay than from alcohol.

The idea of expanding the ability of police to detain people whose meth-induced psychosis puts them at risk isn’t new. In 2018, I was asked to sit on the Tri Government Task Force on Illicit Drugs, a

joint initiative of the City of Winnipeg, Manitoba and the Government of Canada. In our 2019 report, we recommended reviewing the current legislation to expand the powers of law enforcement and medical professionals to hold people whose drug use puts them at risk of hurting themselves and causing harm to others. While this legislation is being proposed by the current Kinew government, it comes from a recommendation in the report which was completed under the former provincial Progressive Conservative government. Of course, no location will ever be perfect. But refusing to act because perfection is impossible means more people will die.

This is one step – buying 72 hours where people have a better chance to make a decision. It's also buying 72 hours of less pressure on our firefighters, our paramedics, at our emergency wards. The protective care centre is a tool that cannot come soon enough. But it is only one of many innovative actions needed.

The government must look at charging the dealers who sell fatal doses with manslaughter, an action recommended by Indigenous leaders and the Manitoba Business Council. They must investigate and charge the high rollers laundering billions of dollars of drug money in Manitoba every year. Modernize our treatment programs to be more like the Bruce Oake Recovery Centre and in the long term they must get the 40,000 children who are chronically absent from school into the classroom, so they have a chance at getting a job.

And above all, remember the 570 Manitobans who died last year. In their names, we must work to stop the death and open the protective detention centre.

Please – let’s get this done, and get it done fast!

Sel Burrows is the Coordinator of Point Powerline, a Member of the Order of Manitoba and a Member of the Tri Government Task Force on Illicit Drugs.

Canada needs, more than ever, polytechnics to transform and renew our nation

The signs of Canada's decline are many. Whether it's a stagnant economy, falling standards of living, high youth unemployment, high deficits and debt Canada. Canada experiences one of the lowest levels of productivity and educational outcomes among advanced countries according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Our labor shortages particularly in technical employment persist and the emergence of Artificial Intelligence is poised to displace many jobs.

Canada can reverse this decline by pursuing the basic policies not only fiscal prudence, competitive taxation and de-regulation but educational reform. It is critical that Canada be laser focused on getting rid of woke indoctrination and turn to real educational performance by making polytechnic education the cornerstone of renewal.

David Leis

Polytechnical education provides a bright pathway for Canada's economic and cultural renewal and now is the time to provide this urgent and transformative agenda.

Canada's post-secondary landscape is complex with many different overlapping models. This landscape is fraught with generalization, and this analysis does not seek to disparage the rich variety of universities, colleges and various public and private hybrids that serve the Canadian marketplace. Canada is dominated by large public universities who receive most public funding and research. Given Canada’s declining context now is the time for a major policy shift away from universities to polytechnics.

Polytechnic education is uniquely proven and indeed, designed to serve the needs of students, industry and society. What is this model? Polytechnic in French literally means "many techniques or skills".

Polytechnics vary from a high school level commonly found in Quebec and others that are large advanced post-secondary institutions that offer advanced degrees. What is central to polytechnics is the teaching of many skills that result in successful employment and leadership. This is accomplished by using advanced methods and pedagogy to enable learning and critical thinking in areas of study such as business, administration and design. Fortunately, Canada already has a proven network of advanced polytechnics. They began in most cases as community colleges and technical institutes. These advanced polytechnics include well known examples from BCIT, SAIT, Red River Polytechnic, Sheridan College to Nova Scotia Community College to name just a few.

These polytechnics are designed to meet the demanding industry standards and international certifications whether in health care, aerospace, services or technology. Because those standards are uncompromising, polytechnics also provide extraordinary

support to enable learners of all backgrounds and ages to meet those exacting standards. Not surprisingly, many of these institutions enable their graduates to achieve unusually high employment rates of over 90 percent in their chosen field of study. Despite this success, many Canadians have an archaic belief that these polytechnics are "trade schools" and somehow a second choice to universities. Polytechnics better serve our nation as they are intentionally designed to do so. These design variables are the formula for their success. Design begins with the end in mind: namely to produce graduates who are job ready and who have and meet industry standards. This goal includes that learners understand the culture and bring with them the ability to think and lead within their respective environment.

Most polytechnics have a combination of at least twenty design variables to achieve this vision. This analysis will highlight only a few of these design elements including: curriculum methodology and standards, faculty hiring and pedagogy, learner supports and work experience, and applied research partnerships.

In the case of curriculum, polytechnics around the world use a trade-marked methodology called a "DACUM" or designing a curriculum. A DACUM process works directly with industry and community participants to follow a highly disciplined methodology. It systematically identifies the required skills, standards and attributes which need to be embedded into the curriculum to ensure a graduate is ready for employment and leadership in the field. In order to undertake a DACUM, curriculum designers are trained and certified to ensure the process can document and meet internationally recognized quality standards. This process delivers standards within rapid timeframe of usually two years or less. This is a critical strength in order to ensure curriculum is relevant and timely.

Polytechnics are also designed to hire a particular type of faculty. They are hired on both positive attitude, knowledge and experience. Faculty typically have an advanced degree or even a terminal degree such as a PhD in their field. In addition, faculty are required to have direct experience as a leader in their respective industry or profession that may be in the relevant trade, building, health care or a not-forprofit setting. Lastly, faculty are required to undertake a teaching degree or certificate grounded in the DACUM methodology and modern pedagogy. Although polytechnics ensure delivery of uncompromising industry standards, the support for learners enables them to succeed. This support is often in the form of smaller class sizes and a curriculum that ensures every learner successfully masters foundational segments first before proceeding forward. In other words, no short cuts are permitted. This

may mean that a learner will not proceed until they are ready. At the same time, the learning environment is designed to create a collegial environment that ensures constant feedback between the learner and the instructor both in person and through innovative learning software which is rarely used at universities.

Because part of the polytechnic curriculum is both technical and cultural, work placements in the field of study are essential. In order for students to succeed, learners need to understand both skills including the culture and even the specialized language and practices of their respective profession or work. That is why commonly polytechnics require a form of work placement usually paid in their program whether in the form of cooperative work placements or apprenticeships as an example. This work experience is invaluable as both learners and employers seek to potentially work for or be hired.

Lastly, polytechnics also pursue applied research with industry and various community partners including government enabling them to be on the edge of current industry challenges. Unlike pure research commonly undertaken at universities in the pursuit of a field's knowledge, applied research involves addressing a current industry problem. The examples are numerous. Whether developing with a bus manufacturer a new generation of engine or developing a new training approach to composite manufacturing in the aerospace or developing a new curriculum for inner city high school students the examples are many and make a major difference. Applied research is a team effort not only involving the industry sponsor and faculty but also learners. In the polytechnic, there are no bounds between the classroom and the community. At polytechnics, learning is integrated with the community and the boundaries between them are seamless by design.

In the 1970s Finland, was an educational and economic languard. In the 1990s Finland had the courage to undertake major reform and even transitioned most of their universities to polytechnics, expanding higher education and providing careeroriented education. The shift was aimed to better meet labour market needs and to enable students and Finland to succeed. Now Finland is recognized as one of the premier education and economic success stories in the world.

Canada can benefit from this example of transformational change. Like Finland, Canada can choose to make polytechnic education its cornerstone. It would bring hope for a new generation seeking success in a well-paying employment and confident they too can build a bright future. Let's pull a Finland.

David Leis is the President and CEO of Frontier. He has served as a Vice-President at various Polytechnics and Universities and was the former executive with a North American automation engineering firm and the CEO of the Greater Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber of Commerce.

Most people miss claiming medical expenses

Despite our pride in our “free” health care system, most Canadians have out of pocket medical expenses. A silver lining is that some of those costs may be recoverable through the personal tax system. Here’s an overview of the kind of write-offs most people miss, and some of the complexities that come with the claims.

Net Income Requirements. Claims for medical expenses may be made for any 12-month period ending in the tax year. In addition, they must be reduced by 3% of net income or a maximum of $2834 in the 2025 tax year. That makes it more lucrative for a lower income earner to claim them. But if that person is too ill to work, or income is too low to be taxable, a supporting person can attempt the claim; albeit reduced by this same limitation but based on their higher income.

It is also possible to make a claim for other dependent adults; in that case, you can use the adult dependent’s net income for the purpose of claiming medical expenses. Claims can be made for grandchildren, parents, grand-parents, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, nephews, or nieces who were residents of Canada at any time in the year.

made to a home to allow a taxpayer or a dependant to be more mobile or functional within the home, it has been possible to accomplish a rare, and legal double-dip that started on the 2020 tax return. That double dip however will end in the 2026 year.

Specifically, when alterations or renovations are made to a dwelling to allow a taxpayer who is either over the age of 65 or disabled (as verified by a Disability Tax Credit on form T2201) it is possible to claim the Home Accessibility Tax Credit.

Cost of Drugs, Devices. Prescribed drugs and medical devices may be claimable. For example, medical expenses claimable by someone with a chronic illness such as cancer include the following:

• Air filters, air conditioners, assisted breathing devices

• Bone marrow transplant costs

• Breast prothesis

• Cancer treatments – inside or outside Canada, including travel costs for the patient and an attendant

• Chairs or other special devices, like glasses, contacts, hearing aids and their batteries

• Ileostomy and colostomy pads

• Out of pocket prescription drugs

Costs of attendant care. Attendant care expenses may be deductible under a claim for medical expenses, although in the case of attendant care, these costs may affect a claim for the Disability amount if they exceed $10,000 in a year (or $20,000 in the year a taxpayer died).

Attendant care costs can include an outpatient clinic and even a detox centre, but not a recreational facility. Certain portions of a retirement home might be deductible – so may wages for hiring a private attendant.

Claiming Home Renovations. When alterations are

Sri

This is a federal non-refundable credit of 15 percent of the lesser of the costs of the renovations and $20,000; in real dollar terms a maximum of $3,000. Claims for the Home Accessibility Tax Credit must be made in the year that the expenses are incurred. They are claimed on the Worksheet for the Return; a part the T1 forms package.

Those same renovations may qualify to be claimed as a medical expense. But that can be the more complicated claim. Here’s why.

Remember that claims for medical expenses may be made for any 12-month period ending in the tax year. Where the medical expense claim period crosses the year end, the Home Accessibility claim may be in one year and the medical expense claim in another. Remember, the claims may be different because of that 3% net income limitation. It is likely that the Home Accessibility claim may be the better way to go but be sure to do the math.

Examples of home renovations that could be eligible under either of these credits include the costs of:

• installing entrance and exit ramps

• widening doorways

• lowering shelves

• modifying kitchen cabinets

• moving electrical outlets

The Disability Amount. It’s worth mentioning that the non-refundable tax credit, the Disability Amount, can be claimed if the disabled person is markedly restricted in their daily living activities. Form T2201 Disability Tax Credit, signed by a nurse practitioner or qualified medical practitioner must first be obtained to start the eligibility process.

It’s worth checking this out as the claim is $10,138 in 2025 for adults and up to $5914 more for disabled

Lankan Seniors

Infectious Diseases Primer for Seniors: Dr. Amila Heendeniya Dr. Amila Heendeniya is a clinical infectious diseases physician at the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, and he is an assistant professor at the University of Manitoba.

He conducted a presentation divided into three main sections, namely, topic, objective, and agenda. He utilized more than one hour and shared a valuable set of descriptive instructions with Sri Lankan Seniors Manitoba (SLSM) on how to prevent common infectious diseases. He allocated a short time to maintain the domestic kitchen in a healthy condition. A healthy way of using the common kitchen counter is provided, whereas Sri Lankan food preparation is done in different locations within the kitchen. He advised that when using the fridge, milk and eggs must not be kept closer to the door.

children, depending on the amount of childcare expenses claimed.

Qualifying afflictions include the following:

• Difficulty Walking, Dressing, feeding (preparation and consumption, hearing, speaking, vision (legal blindness) and lost bowel or bladder functions.

• Mental functions necessary for everyday life (e.g., attention, memory, problem-solving, goal setting, regulation of behavior/emotions)

• Need for Life-sustaining therapy (at least 3 times per week, for an average of 14 hours per week, to support a vital function, such as kidney disease or insulin therapy for Type 1 diabetes.

• Cumulative effect of multiple significant afflictions (limitations in two or more of the above categories that, when combined, are equivalent to one marked restriction) Other Tax Credits. There are numerous other provisions a supporting individual may claim to supplement the costs of caring for a disabled person. This may include

• a Canada Caregiver Amount of over $8,600; and

• a $10,000 Home Buyer’s Amount is claimable, if you have to move a person for whom you give care and who qualifies for a Disability Tax Credit, into a more accessible home to accommodate the disability.

These credits are also non-refundable, which means you need to have income to get a tax benefit.

However, there is also a refundable multi-generational home renovation tax credit, which supplements home reno costs up to $50,000, to enable living quarters for a disabled person living on your property in a secondary unit. Expenses need to have occurred after December 31, 2022.

The Refundable Medical Expense Supplement. Another thing to keep in mind: disabled taxpayers who have no supporting person, but who have at least $4390 of earned income in 2025 may also claim up a refundable amount of up to 25 percent of the medical expenses under the Refundable Medical Expense Supplement to a maximum of $1504.

Bottom line: Three are lots of supports for disabled people and their caregivers via the personal tax system, but they can be hard to navigate and calculate. Check with a tax specialist if you think you missed something and consider making an adjustment to prior filed returns if you did.

Evelyn Jacks is the best selling author of over 50 books on personal tax and family wealth management. Check out her podcast Real Tax News You Can Use.

Amila has a good ear for music. He is a good Madeline player and able to play a few musical instruments. He is a good singer too.

During the long winter season in Winnipeg, it is not advisable to confine oneself to the home.

All headings of his presentation are named in three languages (English, Sinhala, and Tamil). Further, after each section he allocated time for Q and A session for the benefit of the audience. As a result, the audience raised questions freely.

Just after the above medical advice, Whynn Ferguson conducted her Yoga session. SLSM, Immediate Past President, Indra Ariyaratne, has been honored with the 2025 Manitoba Healthy Aging Award in the category of Older Adult of the Year. For this, a cake-cutting ceremony was organized. More memories from Senaka Samarasinghe’s time as President Paduru ceremony. The group performed singing sat on mats (Paduru) on April 22nd, 2016, at Mennonite Elementary School. 109 adults participated; Tamil participates sang Tamil songs. One of our board members did a structure to depict a Sri Lankan poor schoolgirl living in a wattle and daub house. By explaining the poor-schoolgoing students in Sri Lanka, $700 was collected for the scholarship scheme for Sri Lankan students. This amount was sent to Dharmavijaya Foundation to offer scholarships. Sinhala & Tamil New Year ceremony Invited as our Chief Guest (22, 23 & 24 Apr 2016) His Excellency Ahmed A. Jawad, Sri Lankan High Commissioner

(H.C.) to Canada.

Day 1: (1) World Trade Centre in Winnipeg (WP) (2) Office, Govt. of Manitoba (3) Meeting with Provincial & Sri Lankan businessmen at Pembina Library Hall (3) Dinner hosted by SLAM.

Day 2: (1) Canadian Museum for Human Rights (2) Opening ceremony Sri Lankan Trade Fair (3) Attend as Chief Guest New Year ceremony SLAM.

Day 3: morning: (1) Summing up at the breakfast meeting (2) Leave WPPoint-to-point rides arranged by selected SLAM members.

Businessmen, meeting

Executed on April 22nd, 2016. Headed by the Sri Lankan H.C. at the Pembina Trail Library Hall. Discussion points were: (1) Import tea from Sri Lanka (SL) and Export Bee Honey from SL (2) Visit SL as a tour writer of Senior Scope newspaper (3) Establish a Tea Shop in Winnipeg (4) BFI Introduce Waste Recycle project to SL and (5) Marketing & Manufacturing of Diamond & Jewelry.

NY Ceremony accomplished on April 23rd 2016 in Canad Inns Hotel with H.C. Trade Fair (12-Stalls): (1) Scholarship Scheme (2) Traditional Rice (3) Ceylon Tea (4) Trico (5) Legal Service (6) Spices (7) Food (8) Dressmaking (9) Virgin Coconut Oil (10) Education & Roasted Bread (11) Marambari ticket sale (12) Sponsored by CIBC & with tri-lingual (Sinhala, Tamil & English) bank staff including the Manager, Harsh Dubey.

This venture led us to establish Sri Lankan Business Council of Manitoba.

Invitations from Non Sri Lakan Organizations

On 7-11-2016 (1) Manitoba Historical Society attended the event named Karen Community (Sino-Tibetan ethnic group) in WP: Presented their Traditional History from 7.00-9.00 pm.

On 17-12-2016 (2) participated on presentation about Pakistan-Canada Cultural Equation conducted by Ali Jinnah's Place in World History conducted by Prof. Enna Alexander, Dept. of History, U of Winnipeg at 1.30-4.30 pm. On 28-1-2017 (3) President, Manitoba Historical Society invited me to attend an occasion Karen Community (Sino-Tibetan ethnic group) in Winnipeg from 7.00-9.00 pm.

Sri Lankan Early Settlers: Now living away from Winnipeg Leela and Castus Peiris met at June Gomes’s daughter’s (Nadia) wedding ceremony in Aug. 2015. Castus planned to invite early settlers in Winnipeg for the New Year (NY) ceremony in 2016 (Castus elected as the President SLAM at the inaugural meeting held on Feb. 4th, 1984, on Sri Lankan Independence Day). Castus sent mails to North America and other countries and 20 agreed to attend. They purchased their own tickets. Allocated separate location for them to sit together. SLAM invited Castus to light the traditional oil lamp and to make a speech about this significant get-together. Trade Fair

Reimagining support, healing and recovery

We’re inspired by the families who share their stories and health care journeys with us. In turn, it gives hope to other families who need Manitoba’s only children’s hospital.

I want to introduce you to a family that will be together for the holidays, thanks to the dedicated teams at HSC Children’s Hospital who helped a young girl named Ella.

Watch Ella’s story at goodbear.ca/ella.

What started with a rash and fever escalated to fatigue, bruising, weight loss, and the inability to walk. Bloodwork confirmed Ella’s parents worst fear – she was diagnosed with leukemia when she was only three years old.

“I took her to walk-in doctors multiple times for these symptoms with no success,” Ella’s mom Camille remembers. “We were terrified, had so much anxiety and worry.”

ment. They spent the most time – hundreds of hours even – in CK5. That’s the childhood cancer and blood disorders ward where children and their families face the most challenging time of their lives.

It was after an appointment with Ella’s pediatrician who ordered the bloodwork, that they were referred to pediatric specialists at Children’s.

Over the following months, Ella’s treatment brought the family to many areas of care in Children’s, like the Pediatric Day Unit and Children’s Emergency Depart-

Without the expert care she received in all these areas, Ella wouldn’t be here today.

“The staff do the best work and were supportive of our family,” says Camille. “I cried every day the first month of Ella’s diagnosis. They were there and knew all the right things to say to help. They also were there for Ella when she was scared, crying and fighting. I remember the first night of her diagnosis – Ella and I were terrified. They allowed my husband to stay late with us until we fell asleep.”

But the rooms are not as supportive as the care kids like Ella receive. Her mom Camille wishes the rooms had been more comforting or child-focused to help take Ella’s mind off the treatment.

Today, Ella is five years old and finished treatment on Aug. 5. She is happy and healthy, full of the energy that was temporarily stolen by cancer. Her favorite things are crafts, playing soccer, badminton, running, swimming, riding her bike outside, going to Jets games with mom and dad, dancing, singing, and learning new facts about

animals and bugs.

Making hope possible for every family is something we do at the Foundation. That’s why we’re reimagining what all in-patient and treatment rooms can look like. Starting with CK5, the transformation is already underway to create kid-friendly spaces to help lift spirits and bring comfort to kids and families.

Did you know, cancer remains the most common disease-related cause of death for children? So, with this campaign we’re also raising funds for breakthrough research into childhood cancer with PROMISE research at Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba.

You can help us with this transformation. Donate before December 31, and thanks to the generosity of the K + P Talbot Community Fund and the Talbot Family Foundation, your gift will be matched. That means $5 becomes $10, $25 becomes $50 and $50 becomes $100.

Let’s make anything possible. Please make your special holiday donation at goodbear.ca today to DOUBLE your impact for kids like Ella, for kids who spend weeks or months receiving treatment for some of the most complex childhood illnesses.

And of course, from all of us at the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba, we wish you and your loved ones a safe and happy holiday season.

Stefano Grande is the president and CEO of Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba.

Is justice being served in Manitoba? The Shawn Lamb case raises old questions

Scott Browning

“Things can change, and they are changing—slowly. Your powerful voice is getting stronger… Thank you to the families for never giving up and for always reminding us that we need to keep fighting.”

— Sheila North

Her words, spoken to families fighting for justice for their loved ones, resonate powerfully today. More than a decade after the original court proceedings against Shawn Lamb, Manitoba finds itself revisiting the same troubling questions about whether the province’s justice system genuinely protects Indigenous women.

Lamb’s case never reached a full trial. After 17 months of pre-trial proceedings, he pleaded guilty in November 2013 to two counts of manslaughter in the deaths of 25-year-old Carolyn Sinclair and 18-year-old Lorna Blacksmith. From the beginning, prosecutors acknowledged that their case relied almost entirely on Lamb’s statements to police—evidence vulnerable to exclusion if challenged. The Crown had little forensic evidence to work with, and a second-degree murder conviction was unlikely to hold.

Justice Rick Saull accepted the plea agreement in a single tense hearing, sentencing Lamb to 20 years. He stressed that if the case had proceeded to a jury, there was a serious risk Lamb might be acquitted entirely. Yet for families, the plea felt like a crushing blow—a compromise that diminished the gravity of the women’s lives and deaths.

One member of Tanya Nepinak’s family later said, “It felt like a stab in the heart. We wanted justice. We got a deal.”

The courtroom itself reflected that heartbreak. When Lamb suddenly attempted to withdraw his plea midhearing—an attempt to derail the process—chaos followed. A grieving family member shouted at Lamb in anguish and was escorted out by sheriffs. The outburst symbolized a deeper frustration: a sense that families were forced to watch a process they had no power to influence.

Outside the Winnipeg Law Courts, emotions erupted into days of protest. Relatives of Sinclair, Blacksmith, and Nepinak voiced their pain and anger as community members joined them. The sister of Lorna Blacksmith said, “Our women can’t get justice.” Another family advocate added, “This isn’t just about Indigenous women – no family should have to fight this hard to be heard.”

Their criticism was not only directed at Lamb, but at a justice system they felt had failed them. At the time, Indigenous youth advocate Michael Champagne said Lamb’s case “turned up the heat” on a system already under fire for ignoring the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women.

Perhaps the most painful part for families was the lack of communication. When news broke years later that Lamb had been granted statutory release, some found out the same way they first learned of the plea deal: through the media. As one of Nepinak’s aunts said, “We weren’t told. No one contacted us. We found out through the media.”

That pattern of silence feels like a be-

trayal to many who have spent over a decade grieving, advocating, and pressing the system to take their loved ones’ cases seriously. As a relative of Carolyn Sinclair put it: “We’ve been grieving and advocating for more than ten years. Nothing has changed.”

“How does this help the general public’s sense of safety? How does this help victims’ family members heal and feel secure in the community? How does this help foster a feeling that our justice system delivers justice? I personally don’t see this news is helping that process,” said Kinew.

Yet families have not stopped pushing. They have held vigils, demanded landfill searches, marched, spoken to officials, and given testimony to national

inquiries. Their persistence helped bring about the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls—a milestone that Sheila North acknowledges as a victory born from community determination.

I watched this protest at Broadway Avenue at Main Street, and I expected a radical outburst of rage and angry cries, but this protest was different. This was not just another Indigenous protest. These speeches stemmed from years of struggle, by mothers, daughters, aunties, and Indigenous leaders voicing their plight with a heartfelt desire to seek change in the justice system. They brought their signs, they brought their drums, and there were songs and a round dance done in the traditional Indigenous ceremonial way. As a sign of compassion, I participated in the round dance and listened to the heartbeat of the drums and the women singing. Experiencing this event has truly transformed my perspective.

Today, with Lamb’s statutory release, the same families—supported by MKO, SCO, AMC, and grassroots justice groups—are back in protest, making their voices heard once again. As protests intensify, one question hangs in the air with renewed weight: When families are left with grief, unanswered questions, early releases, and decades of advocacy, can we truly say that justice has been served?

For many, the answer is still uncertain. But one thing is undeniable—the voices demanding justice are louder than ever, and they show no signs of being silenced.

Creative Retirement Manitoba Inc. 204-481-5030, hello@crcentre.ca www.crcentre.ca

WINNIPEG

20 Fort Street Seniors Club

2200-20 Fort Street / FortStSeniors@Shaw.ca

A&O Support Services for Older Adults Inc.

200 - 207 Donald Street 204-956-6440 / Toll Free: 1-888-333-3121 info@aosupportservices.ca www.aosupportservices.ca

Archwood 55 Plus 565 Guilbault Avenue / 204-416-1067 archwood55@shaw.ca archwood55plus.wildapricot.org/ Bleak House Centre 1637 Main Street / 204-338-4723 bleakhousecentre@gmail.com www.bleakhousecentre.com

Brooklands Active Living Centre 1960 William Avenue W 204-632-8367 / bpscc@mymts.net

Centro Caboto Centre 1055 Wilkes Avenue / 204-487-4597 ext. 1 executivedirector@cabotocentre.com www.cabotocentre.com

Charleswood Active Living Centre A 357 Oakdale Drive / 204-897-5263 info@charleswoodseniorcentre.org www.charleswoodseniorcentre.org

Dakota Community Centre 1188 Dakota Street / 204-254-1010 ext. 217 seniorresources@dakotacc.com www.dakotacc.com

Delmar Seniors 110 Adamar Road / 204-421-2592

Dufferin Senior Citizens Inc.

377 Dufferin Avenue / 204-986-2608

Elmwood East Kildonan Active Living Centre 180 Poplar Avenue / 204-669-0750 healthrelations@chalmersrenewal.org chalmersrenewal.org

Garden City Community Centre Seniors 55+ 725 Kingsbury Avenue / 204-940-6111 facilities@gardencitycc.com www.gardencitycc.com/seniors

Golden Rule Seniors Resource Centre 625 Osborne Street / 204-306-1114 goldenrule@swsrc.ca facebook.com/goldenruleseniors

Good Neighbours Active Living Centre 720 Henderson Hwy / 204-669-1710 admin@gnalc.ca / www.gnalc.ca

Gwen Secter Creative Living Centre 1588 Main Street / 204-339-1701 becky@gwensecter.com / www.gwensecter.com

Headingley Seniors’ Services 5353 Portage Avenue / 204-889-3132 ext. 3 seniors@rmofheadingley.ca www.headingleyseniorsservices.ca

Indigenous Senior Resource Centre Inc. A1- 100 Robinson Avenue / 204-586-4595 executivedirector@isrcwpg.ca www.asrcwpg.ca

La Fédération des aînés de la francophonie manitobaine inc. 123-400, rue Des Meurons 204-235-0670 / direction@fafm.mb.ca

Manitoba Korean 55+ Centre 900-150 River Avenue 204-996-7003 / www.ksam.ca

North Centennial Seniors Association of Winnipeg Inc. 86 Sinclair Street / 204-582-0066 ncsc@shaw.ca / www.ncseniors.ca

North Point Douglas Senior Centre 117 Euclid Avenue / dzedzora107@gmail.com bkuluk751@gmail.com

Old Grace Housing Co-op 100-200 Arlington Street wellness.oghc@gmail.com

Pembina Active Living (55+) 933 Summerside Avenue / 204-946-0839 office@pal55plus.ca / www.pal55plus.ca

Manitoba Association of Senior Communities

Rady Jewish Community Centre 123 Doncaster Street / 204-477-7539 lmarjovsky@radyjcc.com / www.radyjcc.com

Rainbow Resource Centre 514 St. Mary Avenue / 204-474-0212 ext 255 OTR@rainbowresourcecentre.org www.rainbowresourcecentre.org

The Salvation Army Barbara Mitchell Family Resource Centre 51 Morrow Avenue / 204-946-9153 sheila.keys@salvationarmy.ca

Somali Help Age Association 519 Beverley Street / 204-881-6364 somalihelpage@gmail.com

South Winnipeg Seniors Resource Council 117-1 Morley Ave / 204-478-6169 resources@swsrc.ca / www.swsrc.ca

Southdale Seniors 254 Lakewood Boulevard / 204-257-6171 gm@southdale.ca / www.southdale.ca

Sri Lankan Seniors Manitoba 113 Stan Bailie Drive 204-261-9647 / www.srilankanseniorsmb.ca

St. James-Assiniboia 55+ Centre 3-203 Duffield Street 204-987-8850 / info@stjamescentre.com www.stjamescentre.com

Transcona Council for Seniors 845 Regent Ave / 204-222-9879 tcs@mymts.net / www.transconaseniors.ca

Transcona Retired Citizens Org. 328 Whittier Ave. West 204-222-8473 / trco328@shaw.ca

Vital Seniors 3 St Vital Road / 204-253-0555 stmary@mymts.net www.stmarymagdelenewpg.org

Winnipeg Chinese Senior Association 204-291-7798 / wcsa.wpg@hotmail.com www.winnipegchineseseniors.ca

BEYOND WINNIPEG Ashern

Living Independence for Elders Inc. #4-61 Main Street / 204-768-2187 lifeashern@gmail.com

BEAUSEJOUR

Beau-Head Senior Centre 645 Park Avenue 204-268-2444 / beauhead@mymts.net

BINSCARTH / RUSSELL

Senior Services of Banner County 204-532-2391 seniorservicesofbannercounty@gmail.com

BOISSEVAIN

Seniors’ Services of the Turtle Mountain Area 204-534-6816 / seniorservicetm@gmail.com

BRANDON

Brandon Seniors for Seniors Co-op Inc. 311 Park Avenue E / 204-571-2050 reception@brandons4s.ca / www.brandons4s.ca Health Checks 204-728-1842 / brandonmbhealthchecks.ca healthchecksbrandon@gmail.com

CARMAN

Carman Active Living Centre 47 Ed Belfour Drive / 204-745-2356 www.activelivingcentrecarman.ca

CRANBERRY PORTAGE

Jubilee Recreation of Cranberry Portage Legion Hall 217 2nd Ave. SE / 204-271-3081

CRYSTAL CITY

Crystal City & District Friendship Club Inc. 117 Broadway St. / 431-867-0122 crystalcityfriendship@gmail.com

DAUPHIN

Dauphin Active Living Centre Inc. 55 1st Avenue SE / 204-638-6485 www.dauphinseniors.com

DELORAINE

Deloraine Community Club Inc. 111 South Railway Ave E / 204-747-2846

Seniors’ Outreach Services of BrenWin Inc. 204-747-3283 / sosbrenwin@gmail.com sosbrenwin.com

ELIE

Cartier Senior Citizens Support Committee Inc. 11 Magloire Street, Suite #1 / 204-353-2470 cartierseniors55@outlook.com

ERICKSON

Comfort Drop In Centre 31 Main Street / 204-636-2047 areas@mymts.net

FLIN FLON

Flin Flon Seniors 2 North Avenue / 204-687-7308

GILBERT PLAINS

Gilbert Plains and District Community Resource Council Inc. 204-548-4131 / gpdcrc@mymts.net gpseniors.ca

Gilbert Plains Drop In Centre 22 Main Street North / 204-548-2210

GIMLI

Gimli New Horizons 55+ Centre 17 Loni Beach Road / 204-642-7909 gimli55@mts.net / www.gimlinewhorizons.com

GRAND MARAIS

Grand Marais & District Seniors 36058 PTH 12 / gmdseniors@gmail.com www.gmdseniors.ca

GRANDVIEW

Grandview Seniors Drop In 432 Main Street / 204-546-2272

HAMIOTA

Hamiota 55+ Centre & Restore Community Co-op Inc. 44 Maple Avenue / 204-764-2658

KILLARNEY

Killarney New Horizons Centre 520 Mountain Avenue www.killarneymbseniors.ca

Killarney Service for Seniors 415 Broadway / 204-523-7115 seniorservice@killarney.ca

LA BROQUERIE and STE. ANNE

Seine River Services for Seniors Inc./ Services Rivière Seine pour aînés Inc. 93 Principale Street / 204-424-5285 src@seineriverservicesforseniors.ca seineriverservicesforseniors.ca

LUNDAR

Lundar Community Resources 35 Main Street / 204-762-5378 lcrc@mymts.net

MANITOU

Pembina Community Resource Council 315 Main Street / 204-242-2241 pembinacrc@gmail.com

MINNEDOSA

Minnedosa Senior Citizens Assoc. 31 Main Street S / 204-867-1956 mdsasca@gmail.com

MORDEN

Morden Activity Centre 306 N Railway Street / 204-822-3555 mordenactivitycentre@gmail.com www.mordenseniors.ca

NEEPAWA Neepawa Drop In Centre 310 Davidson Street / 204-476-5103 Neepawa-dropin@outlook.com www.neepawa.ca/district-drop-in-center

NOTRE DAME DE LOURDES Club D’age Dor Notre Dame 204-248-7291 / ndslchezsoi@gmail.com

PILOT MOUND

Pilot Mound Fellowship Centre 203 Broadway Avenue / 204-825-2873

PLUMAS

Plumas Seniors Citizens Club Inc. 102 White Street / 204-386-2029

PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE

Herman Prior Senior Services Centre 40 Royal Road N. / 204-857-6951 hermanpriorcentre@gmail.com www.hermanprior.com

Portage Service for Seniors

40A Royal Road N. / 204-239-6312 psfsmeals@shaw.ca portageservicefors.wixsite.com/psfs

RIVERTON

Riverton Seniors Activity Centre 12 Main Street / 204-378-5155 rdfc@mymts.net / www.rivertonfc.com

ROSSBURN

Rossburn Community Resource Council 71 Main Street / 204-859-3386 rosscomm@outlook.com

SANDY LAKE

Sandy Lake Drop In Centre 100 Main St. / 204-585-2411

Municipality of Harrison Park - Age Friendly Initiative Committee 204-585-5310

SELKIRK

Gordon Howard Centre 384 Eveline Street / 204-785-2092 executivedirector@gordonhoward.ca www.gordonhoward.ca

SNOW LAKE

Snow Lake Senior Centre 71 Balsam Street / 204-358-2151 snowsrs@mymts.net

SOUTH JUNCTION Piney Regional Senior Services 204-437-2604 / lgdseniors@gmail.com

ST. LAURENT Age Friendly Committee of St. Laurent 204-906-9607

STARBUCK MacDonald Services to Seniors 204-735-3052 / info@mcdonaldseniors.ca www.macdonaldseniors.ca

STEINBACH

Pat Porter Active Living Centre 10 Chrysler Gate / 204-320-4600 ed@patporteralc.com www.patporteralc.com

STONEWALL

South Interlake 55 Plus 374 1st Street West - Oddfellows Hall 204-467-2582 / si55plus@mymts.net www.si55plus.org

SWAN RIVER

Swan River & District Community Resource Council 126 6th Ave N / 204-734-5707 resourcecouncil@srseniorservices.com

Swan River Senior Citizens Centre 702 1st Street North / 204-734-2212 THE PAS The Pas Golden Agers 324 Ross Avenue / 204-623-3663 seniorsthepas@gmail.com

THOMPSON

Thompson Seniors Community Resource Council Inc. 4 Nelson Rd. / 204-677-0987 thompsonseniors55@gmail.com thompsonseniors.ca

TREHERNE Treherne Friendship Centre 190 Broadway Street 204-723-2559 / jstate1066@gmail.com

VICTORIA BEACH

East Beaches Social Scene 3 Ateah Road / 204-756-6468 ebssinc1@gmail.com www.ebseniorscene.ca

East Beaches Resource Centre 3 Ateah Road / 204-756-6471 ebresourcec@gmail.com ebresourcec.weebly.com

VIRDEN

Seniors Access to Independent Living 204-851-2761 / sail.cao.2023@gmail.com

WINKLER Winkler & District MP Senior Centre 102-650 South Railway Avenue 204-325-8964 director@winklerseniorcentre.com www.winklerseniorcentre.com

Celebrating Healthy Aging in Manitoba

Iwas happy to proclaim October Seniors Month and on November 24, 2025, at the Manitoba Legislative Building, we gathered to celebrate something truly special—the 2025 Manitoba Healthy Aging Awards. This annual event shines a spotlight on older Manitobans and organizations who embody resilience, leadership, and community spirit. It was an inspiring morning filled with stories that remind us of what healthy aging looks like in action.

This year, 14 outstanding recipients were recognized across three categories:

Older Adult of the Year Award

These individuals have shown exceptional leadership in advocating for health care and creating community initiatives that support older adults:

• Germaine Dechant

• Heather Dean

• Indra Ariyaratne

• Lilian Tankard

• Marilee Smeltz

Hon. Uzoma Asagwara Minister's Message

• Zinovia Solomon

Healthy and Active Living Ambassador Award

These recipients champion physical activity and wellness, helping older adults stay active and connected:

• Katy Anderson

• Norina Mahadeo

• Smita Gupta

• Suni Matthews

Intergenerational Impact Award

These honourees have built bridges between generations, fostering meaningful connections and improving seniors’ lives:

• Bethania Mennonite Personal Care Home

• Brandon Seniors for Seniors Co-op

• Chrissy Werestiuk

• Megan Wallace

Menopause and your eyes

Menopause is a natural and important stage of life, but it brings changes that can feel unexpected especially when it comes to your eyes. While hot flashes, mood shifts, and sleep disturbances are widely recognized, many women are surprised to learn that menopause and even perimenopause can significantly affect eye comfort, clarity, and long-term eye health.

How hormonal changes affect your eyes

Estrogen and progesterone play a key role in keeping your eyes healthy. As these hormones fluctuate and eventually decline, many women begin to experience noticeable changes such as:

and glare. Many women also report headaches, eye fatigue, or migraines during this stage.

Dry Eye Syndrome: One of the most common menopause-related symptoms — affecting up to 60% of post-menopausal women. Reduced tear production or faster tear evaporation can lead to: burning, redness, watering and grittiness.

Blurred or Fluctuating Vision: Dryness can cause your vision to blur throughout the day, especially during reading, screen time, or night driving. Often, this is dryness — not a change in your prescription. Increased Light & Screen Sensitivity: Lower tear quality and more inflammation can make your eyes more sensitive to digital screens, bright lights

Contact Lens Discomfort: Changes in the tear film can make contact lenses feel drier or harder to tolerate, causing reduced wearing time, blurry vision, and increased sensitivity. Increased risks for certain eye conditions

Menopause may also raise the risk of certain age-related eye diseases, especially when combined with natural aging:

Glaucoma. Some studies suggest that declining estrogen levels may affect how the eye manages pressure.

Cataracts. Hormonal changes and aging both contribute to clouding of the natural lens.

Macular degeneration (AMD). Postmenopausal women may have a higher risk of developing AMD, which affects central vision.

You’re not imagining it

Your eyes change during menopause just like your skin, your sleep, and your metabolism. These changes are real and more importantly, they’re treatable.

A dry eye assessment with your optometrist can help restore comfort, improve clarity, and protect your longterm eye health.

What you can do to protect your eye health

The good news is menopause-related eye changes are

Listening to their long lists of accomplishments was nothing short of inspiring. From advocating for better health care access to creating programs that keep older adults moving, and intergenerational relationship building, each recipient reminded us that aging is not about slowing down—it’s about continuing to lead, contribute, and connect. Their efforts strengthen communities and ensure that older Manitobans can age with dignity, purpose, and joy.

As Minister of Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care, I am deeply grateful for their commitment to our great province. These awards are more than recognition—they are a celebration of the values that make Manitoba strong: compassion, innovation, and community.

To all the recipients, congratulations! Your work is a beacon of hope and a model for healthy aging. And to everyone reading this, let’s continue to support environments where older adults thrive—because when they thrive, we all do.

The Hon. Uzoma Asagwara is the Minister of Health, Seniors and Longterm Care and Deputy Premier.

manageable. Effective treatments and lifestyle strategies include:

Advanced Gland Therapies like RF/IPL reduce inflammation and restore healthy oil flow in the eyelid glands.

Meibomian Gland Expression manually clears blockages to improve the tear film.

Hormone-Supportive Systemic Therapy: Supporting overall hormonal balance may help eye comfort for some women.

Nutrition & Supplements: Omega-3 fatty acids, hyaluronic acid, and antioxidant-rich foods support healthy tears and long-term ocular health.

Healthy everyday habits

• Use preservative-free artificial tears

• Wear sunglasses with UV protection

• Take regular breaks from screens

• Use a humidifier at home

• Apply warm compresses

• Have routine eye exams to monitor pressure, cataracts, and AMD

Menopause can bring enough challenges on its own – your vision doesn’t need to be one of them. Dryness, irritation, and nighttime vision trouble are extremely common and highly treatable. Take a moment for your eye health. Book your annual eye examination before the new year and give your eyes the comfort and clarity they deserve.

Dr. Romie Dhaliwal, B. SC., O.D. is the owner and optometrist at Academy Optical.

Have a holly jolly Christmas – and don’t forget the mistletoe

Dorothy Dobbie

Though not so much in vogue now, at one time mistletoes was hung in every doorway over Christmas designed to catch to unwary couple who were obliged to stop and exchange a kiss. It’s a funny little berry with a chequered history.

1. Divine essence of male virility. Mistletoe (Viscum)was seen in pre-Christian Europe as the symbol of maleness. The berries became attached to fertility and virility, becoming the symbol of romance.

2. The kissing plant. Mistletoe stimulates young men, and sometime old, to grab the nearest female and plant a kiss on her. While not directly traceable to the plant's well-known habit as a parasite, the action could be construed as a symbol of man's dependence on woman.

According to legend however, the habit started among the Druids in England, who considered mistletoe cut with a golden knife from oaks (to which mistletoe rarely attaches itself) as sacred.

In Norse mythology, Baldur the God of Peace was slain by an arrow made of mistletoe. He was brought back to life by his fellow gods and mistletoe became sacred to Freya the Goddess of Love, who decreed that whosoever should pass under it would receive a kiss to show that the plant had ceased to be a symbol of hate. A likely story!

Tradition has it that each time a kiss is planted, a berry should be plucked. When all the berries were gone, the kissing stopped.

3. Stick-to-it-ness. The Latin word viscum means sticky. Mistletoe berries contain a mucilaginous substance that is very adhesive. When a bird tries to eat the berries which are high in protein, the juice sticks to their bills. They try to rub it off on the nearest branch, where the seed adheres, then puts down its roots, er… haustorium, the organ that sends out fibres to penetrate the wood, seeking out the arteries of the tree, upon which they live.

4. Birdlime. In South Africa, chewed mistletoe berries were once used as “birdlime” to catch birds. The messy mass was spit out and rolled into thin strands of sticky stuff, then wound around a perching branch. When the bird landed on it, it stuck and was then easy to capture.

Incidentally, boiled bark from the holly tree was also used as birdlime.

5. Evergreen. Mistletoe is evergreen. It loves to parasitize trees such as apples, ash and hawthorn where it forms great balls. A tree infested with mistletoe can look very green in midwinter. Some orchardists take advantage of its preference for apple trees, harvesting the fruit in the fall and the mistletoe in the winter when the berries ripen. This is what happens at Cotehele, England, an orchard that dates back to 1731. The mistletoe is nurtured but controlled and not allowed to destroy its host.

6. North American mistletoe. So far, we've been speaking about Viscum album, the mistletoe of Europe. Here in North America, we have our own version, the Phoradendron serotinum, which can have red, yellow, orange or white berries. This species is native to the eastern part of the continent and infects cedar, ash and elm.

7. Are mistletoe berries poisonous? It is the favourite food of the silky flycatcher, but people can become very ill from eating mistletoe berries and leaves. They cause stomach cramps and diarrhea. Having said that, native Americans used the Phoradendron berries for medicinal purposes to treat circularity and respiratory problems.

8. Under the Mistletoe. Mistletoe is not completely out of vogue. Mistletoe is a Christmas song by Canadian singer Justin Bieber. The song was written by Bieber and his producers, Nasri Atweh and Adam Messinger and released on October 17, 2011, as the lead single from his second studio album and first Christmas album. Mistletoes is also featured in Katy Perry’s Christmas album Coy Little Christmas!