Cycle of giving continues

Jose Castro’s lifelong love of cycling started on Angus Street in Point Douglas. Now, he’s putting that love to good use.

Between July 3 and 5, Castro was among 40 cyclists who took part in Habitat For Humanity’s Spirit of Hope, a long distance, fully supported ride east from Kenora, Ont., through the picturesque landscape of the Lake of the Woods region.

“I was impressed with how much effort everybody puts into creating this ride,“ said Castro, 36. “There’s so much that goes into it. Everybody behind the scenes did such a great job. The food was great, too.”

This year’s fundraising ride, which is designed with beginner and intermediate riders in mind, has raised over $100,000 towards Habitat Manitoba’s project on Pandora Avenue West in Transcona, which will eventually be home to 55 Habitat partner families when it is completed in 2026. According to organizers, the cost to build one Habitat home at the Pandora Avenue West development is over $260,000 (excluding land).

Non-stop summer at Rossbrook House

With temperatures rising above 30 C, it’s prime time for many to get outside and enjoy the best of the heat. However, although the weather offers opportunities for most of us, there are still a many young Winnipeggers who have a more difficult time gaining access to things often taken for granted.

Take the simple act of making an ice cream sundae on a sweltering day, said Patty Mainsville, executive director at Rossbrook House. It’s a small activity for some, but huge for others.

Rossbrook House, located at 658 Ross Ave., is a 24-hour drop-in centre for youth aged six to 24 which operates with the mission that no child should ever be alone — and it certainly doesn’t slow down in the summer.

Every year, right in the middle of summer — the weeks of July 22 and 29 — the not-for-profit is able to take two groups of kids, one for each week, down to Camp Maskwa, also known as Maskwa Project, a reclusive nature reserve near Fort Alexander, Man.

Elmwood Night Market returns Aug. 23

Mark your calendars for a special night out in Elmwood.

The popular Elmwood Night Market returns to the field at 180 Poplar Ave. on Friday, Aug. 23 for its fourth instalment. To date, over 50 vendors, five food trucks, and live entertainment are booked for the free event, which will run from 5 to 9 p.m.

“We expect about 2,000 people to attend, but we’ll see,” said Kendall Pratap, Reimagine Elmwood co-ordinator for the Chalmers Neighbourhood Renewal Corporation. “Last year’s events had over 1,000.”

The Elmwood Night Market launched in 2022 from a desire to provide a marquee event for the neighbourhood while providing opportunities for local businesses.

Best feet forward

For what’s now three years, a group of friends have been reaching people citywide in more ways than one.

Run the Peg 100 is a fundraising initiative which sends a group of people — approximately 10 per year — running 100 kilometres across Winnipeg. The trek begins in Assiniboine Park and, following nine pit stops located throughout the city — from Sturgeon Heights to St. Vital — goes full circle and ends up back where it began.

One of the co-founders of the run, Jeff Cheung, lightheartedly calls it a “stupid runner idea.”

“My best friends and I all have our birthdays in July,” Cheung explained, adding that, for a while, they would band up and run the same number of kilometres as the age they were turning that year. The challenge expanded to “How about we run around Winnipeg to celebrate our birthday?” and finally, “How do we make it more meaningful?”

Excited about heading into the field again

Jane Edstrom is preparing to pack her bags for her latest Olympic adventure.

The Windsor Park resident will be officiating track and field events at the upcoming Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games, which run from July 26 to Aug. 11.

No stranger to the international track and field arena, the 69-year-old former phys-ed teacher has officiated at events around the globe, including the Rio 2016 Olympics and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which was held in 2021 in unprecedented circumstances due to the pandemic.

“I’m feeling good. I’m excited for this one,” Edstrom said, noting that the experience in Japan was, at times, unusual — not least because of the lack of spectators in the stands owing to COVID-19 restrictions and protocols in place at the time.

Escaping the heat

Local youngsters cooled off recently at the Park City West spray pad in Transcona, one of the many free-to-use spray pads in Winnipeg.

According to the city, spray pads are open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. until Sept. 2, with some exceptions. For a list of most, but not all spray pads in the city, visit legacy.winnipeg.ca/cms/recreation/facilities/pools/spraypads.stm

CMHA is ‘there for people’

Knowing where to go when you need help is essential, and maybe never more so than when it comes to mental health. Consultations with family doctors can result in appointments with a psychiatrist — whose services are covered by Manitoba Health — or private practice therapists, counsellors or psychologists, whose services may require the payment of fees through private or group insurance plans or by the patients themselves.

Going online to find resources is a good alternative. The Canadian Mental Health Association of Manitoba and Winnipeg’s Service Navigation Hub provides an overview of the services available to those seeking help.

“When people go to our website they will have the opportunity to find their region of Manitoba,” said Stephen Sutherland, fund development manager of CMHA Manitoba and Winnipeg. “As they look at the programs and services, we encourage people to connect to our service navigation program, where our recovery specialists are equipped to listen and determine possible next steps within our programs and services. In the event that there is not a fit at CMHA, we know that there is something with our long list of community partners.”

Sutherland notes that Manitobans face worrying levels of stress, anxiety, and loneliness, heightened by social inequality, an affordability crisis, ongoing climate concerns and food security.

Numbers you should know — 211 and 988

There are two potentially life-saving phone numbers that every Manitoban should have memorized, written on their fridge, or highlighted in their phones – the 211 mental health line and the 988 suicide crisis helpline.

211 Manitoba accesses community-based government, health and social services designed to meet the needs of diverse demographics. It’s free and confidential, available 24/7 in over 200 languages, including four Indigenous languages. Managed by United Way Winnipeg and guided by a province-wide volunteer advisory committee – with support from the Province of Manitoba, Manitoban United Ways, funding partners and donors – 211 is available to everyone.

Anyone in crisis with thoughts of suicide or who is worried about someone else can access assistance free of charge from the 988 Suicide Crisis Helpline, a national telephone and text suicide prevention and support service that provides culturally affirming suicide prevention services, offers access to online resources, local helplines and crisis resources across Canada. 988 is a partnership of government and community agencies led by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).

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Steam locomotive attracts a crowd

Steam locomotive attracts a crowd

Hundreds of train enthusiasts gathered on July 6 at Canadian Pacific-Kansas City (CPKC) railway yard off Jarvis Street The Empress, a 94-year-old steam locomotive, on one of the last legs of its Final Spike Steam Tour.

The tour was organized to commemorate the 2023 merger of the Canadian Pacific and Kansas City railway companies, and encompassed a 14,484-kilometre trip from Calgary to Mexico and back.

Newly restored steam locomotive No. 2816, a 4-6-4 Hudson-type steam locomotive built in 1930 and originally assigned to passenger service out of Winnipeg, pulled a short train of passenger cars into the Winnipeg stop, which allowed people to visit a mobile museum exhibit and to climb aboard the locomotive. The locomotive was last in service in 1960.

Running down a dream

To achieve a goal, you need to believe in yourself.

That’s something Jordan Soufi puts into practise each time he steps onto the track to race or into the gym to train. The 23-year-old sprinter from East Kildonan, who races indoors with the University of Manitoba Bisons track and field team and outdoors with Winnipeg Optimist Athletics, recently ran a personal best in the 200 metres and came close to matching his personal best in the 100 metre races while racing against some of the country’s top sprinters at the Canadian national championships and Olympic trials in Montreal, Que., on the last weekend of June.

“Racing against Andre de Grasse was a cool experience,” Soufi said of lining up against the six-time Olympic medalist.

“I never had that kind of pressure before, never raced against that high calibre of competition before. The race itself, I had a pretty good start until about 50. Onwards, I kind of lost my rhythm.”

Misericordia to house minor injury, illness clinic

Our NDP government is taking another step forward in rebuilding health care in Manitoba.

I am pleased to inform you that we will be opening two new minor injury and illness clinics. One at the Grace Hospital and the other at the former Misericordia Urgent Care Centre. This is part of the effort to enhance the health-care system by improving access to essential health care and services.

As promised, we are following through on the commitment we made to Manitobans, which is better, faster quality care. This means making investments in primary care and providing more options for non-emergency health care.

I am happy to say that constituents of Union Station will also benefit from these new clinics, especially the new one at the Misericordia Health Centre. As minister of health I along with my colleagues, believe that Manitobans deserve the best care at the earliest convenience possible. These new locations will address minor ailments, cast, stitch, diagnose and test, which will ensure Manitobans get access to the most appropriate primary care closer to home.

Strength in the face of adversity

Kate Paukovic is a 17-year-old student about to start Grade 12 at Dakota Collegiate.

Kate has a lot of fun playing sports but there’s one she prefers above all.

“I like to play soccer, volleyball, and basketball (but) my favourite sport is soccer. It’s the sport I have played the longest and I honestly can’t imagine my life without it,” she said.

Kate said she appreciates the companionship and competitive nature of team sports.

East edition news in brief — week of July 17, 2024

Glenwood CC to hold summer sizzler Aug. 21

Glenwood Community Centre (27 Overton St.) will host its inaugural summer sizzler event on Wednesday, Aug. 21 from 5 to 8 p.m.

Community members are invited to an evening of activities and games, including bouncy castles, a candy scramble, children’s activities and games, community gardens dedications, a community police visit, cotton candy and mini doughnuts (for sale), glitter tattoos, a petting zoo, and a professional DJ. Other food and snacks will also be available for purchase.

Entry to the event is free. Visit www.glenwoodcommunitycentre.com/summersizzler for more information.